Elena's Baby
by thecraftywriter
Summary: Damon unexpectedly leaves Elena due to unfortunate events a little over four years ago. When he comes to realize the damage he's done, he is determined to make it right. Especially after leaving something of unknown value behind, Ava. (Currently in the process of editing the first few chapters)
1. Ava

_**Story**: Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter**: Meet Ava_

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor do I own the characters. I just own this plot and I own some of these characters. Trust me, if I owned The Vampire Diaries, it'd be much different._

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><p><em><strong>May 21<strong>__**st**__** 2008**_

_6 pounds 8 ounces. That's how much it weighed, that's how much she weighed. She was precious to me since the moment she was born and she will forever be precious to me. She is my only link to him after he disappeared on me 8 months ago, but it doesn't matter. None of it matters anymore, the only thing that matters is **her**._

_She was born out of love. She was cared for and nurtured for 9 full months out of love, and she will spend the rest of her eternity being loved._

_She was wrapped in a beautiful pink blanket after being cleaned off by the doctors and handed over to me in an instant. From that moment on, I knew her. I knew her face, I knew her cheeks, I knew her hair. All the qualities of **him**. Once she opened her eyes, I knew what I was going to name her._

_"Ma'am, we need you to sign off on her name. We need to legalize her surname so we can name her bed in the nursery for the next couple of days, and then you can decide on her first name," the nurse said softly._

_I couldn't respond, I was completely mesmerized by her delicacy and her fragile form._

_"Ma'am, her surname please?" The nurse began to get impatient._

_"Salvatore," I replied, "Ava Salvatore."_

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><p><em><strong>January 26<strong>__**th**__** 2012**_

"Mommy," Ava called from her bedroom across the hall.

Elena scratched her head and pushed the covers from atop of her. It was the fifth time tonight that Ava woke up in the middle of the night. Elena rubbed her eyes tiredly and snuck a peek at the clock. 5:42 am, well, it was time to get up anyway.

She walked down the hall into Ava's bedroom and smiled at her daughter's grin and outstretched arms.

"Hi princess," Elena stroked her hair while giving into Ava's embrace.

"I can't sleep Mommy," Ava pouted. When she pouted, this just made Elena want to tear up and hold her forever. This was the exact carbon copy of the face that used to love her.

"Why not?" Elena pouted back.

"I keep having nightmares with werewolves in them," Ava said with tears in her eyes. It pained Elena to hear her daughter say this because there was nothing she could do. They were surrounded by supernatural beings everywhere they were.

"Oh honey, there's nothing to be scared about. Nothing's going to hurt you, you know that right?" Elena forced a smile upon her face. She didn't want to lie to her because if anyone should know the dangers, it would be Elena, but there was nothing she could do but try to get her daughter's nightmares to go away.

"I know, but they're so scary in my dreams," Ava shivered.

"Don't worry sweetie, mommy's here. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise," Elena smiled and snuggled up to her daughter.

Elena woke up with her daughter in her arms sleeping peacefully and smiled. She untangled herself from her arms and walked over to the door, shutting it lightly before re-wrapping her robe around herself and walking downstairs into the kitchen. She sauntered over to the stainless steel fridge and pulled out milk, strawberries, syrup, and whipped cream. She grabbed pancake mix from the pantry and began making her daughter her favourite breakfast to make her day better after her nightmares.

Elena had been having nightmares of her own too, but they were an often occurrence. She had nightmares about losing business in her café, losing her workers, and most of all, the big dinner she was hosting tonight at her house.

You see, tonight was a big night for Elena. She was hosting a dinner tonight for all of her family and closest friends in Mystic Falls. Elena and Ava lived in New York when she was studying culinary arts and business management at NYU while everyone else was scattered around the world. Now, coincidently, everyone was back in Mystic Falls and was going to Elena's for a party tonight.

She sighed as she turned on the pancake grill in the kitchen and began mixing the pancakes. She needed everything to be ready by 6 and she had nothing done. She lost count at the number of people coming over tonight. Elena poured medium sized circular pancakes on the grill and waited for them to be done. When she finished all the pancakes, she stacked them all on a plate and placed it on the island table in the kitchen.

She poured two glasses of milk and placed them on the other side of the island table with the barstools. Since it was only her and Ava this morning for breakfast and it was going to be quick she decided that the island table would be better suitable. Elena smiled as she took two pancakes from the stack and put them on Ava's plate. She grinned as she thought of a great way to make Ava laugh.

Elena cut all of the strawberries in half and put them all around the round ends of the pancakes to make it look like a sun. She put two dots of whipped cream with two blueberries on them on the pancake to make eyes, a chocolate chip for a nose, and a two cut apple slices to make a mouth. Then chocolate syrup on the inner part of the strawberries and pancake ends to make it look like hair.

Happy with the way her masterpiece turned out, she poured Ava a cup of milk in her sippy cup and served herself. She put three pancakes staked together on her plate and the rest of the discarded food materials she used on Ava's food and put them on her pancakes topped off with maple syrup, with a mug of coffee. She put away the rest of the ingredients she didn't use in the fridge and walked upstairs to Ava's room.

She smiled at her daughters sleeping form and went over to her.

"Honey, wake up," Elena grinned as Ava opened her eyes timidly.

"Why?" Ava pouted.

"Because I have a surprise for you downstairs and it's time to get up, it's already 9:30!" Elena exclaimed softly.

"Okay," she smiled and took her mom's hand as they walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

Ava saw the food on the island table and instinctively ran towards it, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Mommy, my favourite! You made it! Exactly how I like it too!" Ava beamed.

"Yes I did, didn't I. I know you like the back of my hand, my baby," Elena smiled and helped her up on the bar stool. These stools were custom made to match the design in the kitchen and also have a backing so that people could lean against it while sitting on it, like an actual chair.

Elena and Ava ate their food, laughed, made jokes, and talked about amusing things until Elena realized the time and began to clean up. "Baby, do you remember what we're going to do today?" Elena asked.

"Yup yup, Aunt Katherine is coming over today after lunch and we're going to make the house very purdy!" Ava beamed while trying to help her mom clean. She always helped her mom clean up, it was only ever them two. Unless it was the rare occasion that Uncle Stefan and Aunt Katherine or Uncle Jeremy showed up, but other than that it was always them too. Ava, not wanting her mom to do everything, decided along the way she wanted to help out. Now, it's an everyday occurrence and Ava helps Elena out whenever she can.

"Yeah, make the house look very purdy," Elena laughed. She squatted down to Ava's level and smiled at her, "You know baby, I appreciate your help. You're mommy's little helper, aren't you? But for now, leave this to mommy and go make your bed upstairs, then we'll go get ready, go to the store, and buy stuff for tonight. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good momma," Ava smiled giving a cute and sloppy kiss on Elena's cheek before going to her room. Elena chuckled at her beautiful baby girl. She washed all the dishes, dried them, and put them away before cleaning off the table and wiping it down with some disinfectant wipes.

Ava came running downstairs and towards the door, "Mommy there's someone at the door!" Elena panicked when Ava almost reached the door and wrapped her arms around her, picking her up.

"How do you know?" Elena asked.

"I heard the footsteps from upstairs, the doorbell will ring, now," and as she said it, it rang. Elena raised her eyebrows at her in confusion. How did Ava hear all of that if Elena couldn't?

Elena shifted Ava onto her hip and opened the door.

"Okay, so I'm early, sue me," a sarcastic but warm voice emitted from the person at the door.

"Katherine," Elena rolled her eyes and smiled, opening the door wider for her to step into the house.

"Duh, who else?" Katherine smirked.

"Aunt Katherine!" Ava smiled and outstretched her arms for Katherine.

"Hi princess! How are you? Did you guys have yummy pancakes this morning?" Katherine smirked at her lovingly.

"Yeah, momma made them! How did you know?" Ava's mouth hanging wide open, Elena chuckling from the side closing the door.

"Maybe because you haven't brushed your teeth yet and I can smell the pancakes from you, little miss. C'mon, chop chop. Go brush your teeth and then mommy and I will help you get ready so we can go out and get ready for the party tonight!" Katherine smiled, putting Ava on the ground, giving her a big kiss on her cheek.

"Okay, I'll tell you when I'm done!" Ava smiled and ran to the washroom.

Elena smiled at Katherine who was beaming at her. She used her vampire perks and blurred in front of Elena and hugged her tightly. Elena laughed and hugged back just as tight, if not, tighter.

"I missed you," Katherine said, resting her head on Elena's shoulder.

"I've missed you too, two years is a long time to be away from Mystic Falls and everyone I love," Elena sighed. Katherine shrugged Elena off and smirked, "Look, I may have a nice side now, but overly affectionate hugs aren't my thing. We never tell anyone about these things, okay?"

Elena laughed and put a hand on Katherine's shoulder, "Your secret is safe with me," she mocked. Katherine smiled and looked around the house.

"This is some place you've got here. Do you really need all this space though?" Katherine said.

"Hey, I'm having a house part for about 10+ people. I'd say this house is a comfortable size," Elena pouted.

"Yeah yeah, but look at this place. Your basement is fully furnished now, a bathroom, a bedroom, kitchen, and living room area, plus an office looking thing. Then on the main floor, you have a huge entrance way. A dining room to the left, a library to the right, a staircase by the front door, a living room, a bathroom, and a beautiful kitchen. Not to mention there's a door that leads to your patio and pool in your backyard. Another staircase in the kitchen that leads the third floor. Then you have 5 bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an office. And two of the bedrooms have an ensuite and a balcony. Need I say more? It's only you an Ava. You'll need to give her a phone so you don't lose her in your house," Katherine admired her house.

"Yeah yeah, but I love this house. And with the money I have from the cafe I have and the life insurance I got from my parent's death, it's helped out a lot. I've always wanted a big house, and Ava loves it. I don't see any harm in it, do you?" Elena smiled.

"No, I guess not," Katherine grinned.

"Now, what are we going to do tonight for the party?" Elena frowned.

"I don't know, I have never thrown one before," Katherine said.

"Okay, let's get ready and then we can go into my office," Elena said as she walked up the stairs from the front entrance.

Both of them reached the top of the stairs and Elena walked into her room, Katherine walking into Ava's room.

"Whatcha doin squirt?" Katherine smiled, flopping down onto Ava's bed.

"I'm brushing my hair, Mommy usually does it for me so I don't know if I'm going it right. Can you do something to my hair Aunt Katherine?" Ava pleaded.

"Sure kiddo, what do you want me to do?" She grinned.

"I don't know, I don't know what to wear either, Mommy usually picks it out for me," she smiled.

"Okay, how about you wear this?" Katherine said, while going through her dresser. It was a brown long sleeve dress that stopped about an inch or less above the knee, white tights, and brown boots.

"It looks purdy, okay I'll wear it!" Ava squealed as Katherine began dressing her in her clothes. When she was done, Katherine began to comb out her hair, it was completely straight, just like Elena.

"Dang girl, you didn't get any curls in your hair like me! I guess my curls have been toned down in the generations," Katherine joked.

"Yeah, Momma said that you two would look exactly the same if she had curly hair and was a few years younger!"

"Yeah, we would hun. Actually, at one point when I straightened my hair when we were younger, we looked like twins."

"But you don't anymore because Momma is older now and you're the same age because you're a vampire," Ava smiled.

"Right you are kiddo, but remember, you're not allowed to tell anyone. Or else, I'll eat you," Katherine joked as Ava laughed.

"I promise! Aunt Katherine, can you do that thing that Mommy does to my hair? It's not a braid, it's something else. It's called a fishy butt or something. It looks pretty off to the side of my head," Ava explained.

"Oh, you mean you want me to do a fish tail braid? the one that starts from the back and hangs off your shoulder?" Katherine clarified.

"Yes please!" Ava smiled before Katherine chuckled and did her hair. Ava looked stunning, her raven black hair in a long fish tail braid cascading down her left shoulder. Her brown dress, white tights, and brown boots. Her thick and long eyelashes that really brought out the detail in her very blue eyes. She was the spitting image of her father, mixed with a bit of her mother.

Just then, Elena walked into the room. You know, she looked like Katherine. You could tell the difference now though. Elena was curvier then Katherine after having Ava, she was also 6 years older than Katherine's still 18 year old appearance. Whenever they went out, they told people they were sisters, only Elena was the eldest, much to Katherine's distaste.

Elena was wearing black skinny jeans, a thin dark green long sleeve sweater, and dark green heals. Her eye make-up was a Smokey eye look with black and green, her thick long eyelashes had mascara bringing out her dull brown eyes. Her straight hair cascading down her shoulders and her back.

"You look nice Momma!" Ava smiled brightly as Katherine whistled.

"Foxy Momma, but this is nothing too over the top, you always dress like this. After some helpful tips of mine I might add," Katherine smirked taking in her own attire.

Katherine was being Katherine. Provocative in a classy manner. Her skin tight black jeans that fit her like a second skin, her black high heels, purple low cut v-neck, black leather jacket.

"I'm you with a more innocent twist," Elena joked.

"That you are my friend," Katherine laughed.

After the girls brought all of the groceries and other materials for the party tonight into the kitchen, Katherine and Elena started putting stuff away and Ava took of her jacket and boots before running into the living room to watch the ending of Calliou.

Katherine with her incredible vampire speed took everything out of the grocery bags and laid them out on the island table and the counters.

"Okay, where does it all go? What are we going to do tonight?" Katherine pondered.

"I guess we could make a list of everyone who's coming and go from there?" Elena suggested.

"Good idea," she smirked.

They began forming a list of people who were invited to come tonight, soon after, the list was made.

Jenna, Alaric, Jessica, Isobel, Stefan, Katherine, Caroline, Klaus, Bonnie, Jeremy, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah, Tyler, Matt, Maria, and Santana. and Obviously Elena and Ava.

When Elena made the list she sighed at something missing. Something that's been missing for four and a half years. Her husband.

Katherine saw her tense and instinctively wrapped her arm around Elena's shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "I know you miss him Hun, we all do," she sighed.

Elena gave a heartbroken smile at her doppelganger and spoke, "Every time I look at Ava, I see so much of him. I miss him so much Katherine. Not knowing where he went is killing me. How could he leave us like this? How could this have happened? No phone calls, no drop bys, nothing. Klaus helped us look, everyone did. He's gone, and I just wish he'd come back."

"You don't always have to be strong you know. You can always cry and let down your bravado every once in a while," Katherine said reassuringly.

"I need to be strong for my little girl, I can't let it all down. Ava deserves better than this, I just feel so bad because I can't give it to her. No amount of money or housing space will fill the deep void she has in her heart for her father. She doesn't know him, except for the picture of him and I when I was 18," Elena exclaimed.

Katherine's eyes turned cold for a minute, "When I find his punk ass, and believe me I will, he's seriously going to get it," her hands trembled with anger.

"I know I know, just let it go for now. We're having a party tonight and I seriously don't want any disappointments or things like this effecting my mood," Elena bargained and Katherine calmed down.

The girls began cooking dinner while Ava was put down for her afternoon nap. They began prepping the house by dusting, and waxing, and cleaning windows and mirrors. They also began testing the music systems and surround sound in the living room around the house. Katherine began making deserts and before they knew it, it was already 4:30pm. People would be arriving around 6-7 for the party.

"Hey Kat, do you want to go home and get ready or are you going to get ready here?" Elena asked while hanging their aprons in the closet.

"Clothes are on the bed right now actually, I'll go home, get my clothes, and come back here to get ready. Sound good?" Katherine suggested.

Elena smirked, "You just want to use my new jet powered shower in my spare bedroom, don't you?"

"Yes, I'm dying to use it. I've been wanting to use it for a long time now, tonight is the night! I'll see you guys in about 5 minutes, bye!" she said before blurring out into the outdoors.

Elena chuckled as she saw Katherine leave, that girl could be quite a drama queen at times. She walked up the stairs and into Ava's room, where she saw Ava sitting in the corner playing with her dolls and dollhouses.

"Hey baby, momma's going to take a shower and then we can get ready for the party tonight, alright?" Elena smiled.

"Okay, I'll go to your room when I hear you're done with the shower," Ava flashed her pearly whites and gorgeous blue eyes at her mom before going back to playing with her dolls.

As Elena finished her shower, she dried herself off and put on her bra and underwear and wrapped herself in her dark blue robe. Of course, it wasn't her robe. It was His robe.

She walked out of the bathroom and was surprised to see Katherine and Ava curled up together on the love seat couch in the corner of Elena's bedroom watching Elmo's world. She chuckled and began walking towards her makeup table to do her hair. She decided on a nice and simple look for her hair, something that He loved to see her in. She put her hair in waves that cascaded down her back. It wasn't curly like Katherine but it wasn't entirely straight like boring old Elena.

"Aunt Katherine, what am I going to wear for the party?" Ava asked.

"Something very sophisticated but very lovely. Do you want to get ready now?" Katherine asked, stroking her hair.

"Yeah, I wanna look pretty like momma!" Ava squealed.

"Baby, do you want me to do your hair in a nice 5 piece side braid?" Elena asked her daughter.

"Yes please!" Ava exclaimed.

"Okay, get Aunt Katherine to pick something out for you to wear and I'll do your hair when you're finished, okay?" Elena smiled while going to give her daughter a kiss on her cheek and into the walk in closet for an outfit.

Soon enough, Ava and Elena were upstairs putting their finishing touches on and Katherine was downstairs putting the finishing touches on the food. She laid all the food out on the island table and the counters before sitting on the couch and watching television.

Katherine was wearing a black off the shoulder dress that went a little further than mid-thigh with a her black stilettos and Smokey eye makeup, her hair curled in all the right ways.

Elena was wearing a velvet blue strapless dress, skin tight and hugged all the right curves. The sides where her waist to her hips were was cut open and had a black lace design. Her cleavage was noticeable yet classy. Her choice of makeup was a light Smokey eye effect with mixtures of black, grey, and blue to match her outfit. Her long wavy hair cascading down her shoulders and her back. Her velvet blue and black heels were just absolutely breath taking.

Ava was a vision. She was a stunning thing of beauty. She wore a black long sleeve dress that Katherine had bought her. It was straight but fit, not tight at all. It came to about an inch or less above the knee and she wore black flats to match it. Her eyes and already long eyelashes intensified her face and Elena had given her a five piece off the shoulder braid that hung off her left shoulder. With a velvet blue hair pin of a crow at the start of the braid.

When all was done, the first guest arrived. It was Stefan. The girls took such a delight to their first guest, it was a wonderful moment to them. They hadn't seen Stefan in two whole years, they'd missed him dearly.

"Uncle Stefan!" Ava exclaimed, running up to him and climbing into his open arms.

"Hey princess, I've missed you so much!" Stefan smiled while resting his head on Ava's tiny shoulder and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you too! momma's throwing a party tonight! You're coming right?" Ava asked politely.

"Yes ma'am, what'd you think I got dressed up for? I got dressed up to come to a party at your house just for you!" he laughed, "Gosh, you're getting so big now! How old are you now? 63?" Stefan mock gasped.

"No silly, I'm 3 and 3 quarters, turning 4!" Ava said proudly.

"That you are, princess," Stefan smiled before setting her down and looking up at Elena. He grinned at her and opened his arms while walking towards her. Things didn't work out too well between Stefan and Elena but they both found different people that they were truly destined to be with and they were happy. They were still friends, and not just for the sake of Ava or the family, they were friends because they couldn't live without each other. Even though there was no romantic sense, they still loved each other. But this way was more of a family way.

Elena shook the tears from her eyes and pulled Stefan in for a loving embrace, "I missed you. I've missed everyone," she hugged tighter.

"I know, we've missed you too. Don't worry, everything's going to be okay, I promise you," Stefan reassured her. Elena pulled back and smiled at Stefan sweetly.

"Go make yourselves comfortable, I'm going to go freshen up. Stefan ruined my makeup," Elena mock glared at Stefan before chuckling and walking off to her room.

As she was in her room, she began fumbling through her things looking for something of His. She didn't want to feel alone tonight, which was ironic because there was going to be over ten people here tonight. She just needed a little piece of him with her just to make her feel safe, and feel at the slightest bit better. She was looking through an old box in her closet when she found an old vervain necklace that he gave her when she had lost the one Stefan had given to her. It was a white gold necklace with blue rubies in the shape of vines all across it. It had been one of the most beautiful things he'd ever given her aside from giving her Ava.

She picked it up and put it over her neck and freshened up her makeup. She'd never been one to make a scene in front of people so it was good for her to have time by herself upstairs. After she fixed herself, Elena walked downstairs to find that more guests had arrived.

Alaric, Jenna, and Jessica had all arrived and were sitting on the couch talking to Stefan and Ava. Katherine was over at the bar drinking the night away. Go figure, this was Katherine. Sure she'd gone soft but still had the Petrova fire in her. 'Start the night not with a fizzle but with a bang,' she'd always told Elena.

Elena walked over to the group and Ava smiled her 100 kilowatt smile at her before launching herself into Elena's arms.

"Hey Baby," Elena said softly. Elena began stroking her hair and gave her a big kiss on the cheek before releasing her so she could sit beside her.

"This is so precious, picture perfect moment!" Jenna exclaimed.

"She's a big softy," Elena smiled at her daughter.

"We'll my nieces are just the cutest things ever! Aside from my baby," Jenna smiled at Jessica and hugged her. Jessica Saltzman was Jenna and Alaric's little girl, she is 5 years old.

"So how are you guys? How's life in Mystic Fall been for you? How's my little cousin doing?" Elena smiled and attacked her cousin Jessica with 100 kisses. Jess giggled and attacked her back with just as many slobbery kisses.

"All's well in Mystic Falls, Jenna's catering business is going well and I finally have all of my students in class for the first time. Jess is JK right now, SK in September, right princess?" Alaric smiled.

"Yup Daddy!" Jess exclaimed.

Everyone chuckled and started to get up and go on tour of the rest of the house. Ava as their guide. Elena walked over to Katherine who had a solemn expression on her face.

"Why so glum chum?" Elena asked before chugging down some fruit punch.

"I've always hated parties," she said.

"It's not a party per-say, it's just a dinner gathering because I haven't seen these people in a long time. No worries Kat, I got your back," Elena said, extending her fist to Katherine. She roared with laughter at Elena's child-like ways and pounded her fist with Elena's.

Soon enough, everyone returned back to the living room and began muttering and mumbling about how expensive this house must be and how beautiful it was. Elena stifled a laugh at her Aunt and Uncle before Ava came up to Elena and spoke, "I think Uncle Ric is a little jealous," she smirked at Alaric.

"I think so too pumpkin," Stefan joined in until everyone laughed and Alaric mock glared at Elena.

Ava's ear perked up and Stefan look at her curiously, "What is it?"

Ava smiled and ran to the front door, she opened it and cried out, "Aunty Caroline!" She jumped into Caroline's arms full throttle. If it hadn't for been for Caroline's vampire strength, she would have toppled over.

"I heard you coming all the way from down the street Aunty Caroline! I heard your laugh, I love your laugh!" Ava smiled and embraced her lovingly as Caroline chuckled.

"Awe honey, you're so sweet," Caroline pinched her cheeks lightly and kissed her forehead before attacking Ava with a huge hug.

"Well if you heard your Aunt Caroline, you for sure must have heard me," a voice said from behind her. Ava looked over her shoulder and squealed.

"Uncle Nik!" Ava screamed and jumped into his arms as Klaus gave a heartfelt chuckle and hugged he back, careful not to crush her pour body.

"Hello my lovely, my, my have you grown. I remember the days when you were like this tall," Klaus mock gasped and showed Ava the distance between his thumb and pointer finger.

"Uncle Nik you're a silly goose," Ava chuckled.

"More like silly vampire," Klaus reminded her and they shared a warm laugh.

"Your hearing is amazing kiddo, I don't think even I can hear that far, and I'm an original," Kol said from the side.

"Kol!" she grinned and wiggled out of Klaus' hug and ran to him, attacking him with her almost too tight hug.

"Hey kid, how's it goin'?" he smiled at her.

"Good, Mommas throwing a party tonight and we're going to eat yummy food and play outside and watch TV and do all kinds of stuff, just me and you, okay?" Ava smiled at Kol and snuggled into his chest.

"Not too loud kiddo, you're hurting all of my male bravado," Kol shushed her out loud, gaining chuckles and laughs from everyone there.

"Yeah, male bravado, that's it," Katherine rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Watch it Katarina, I'll sick the dogs on you," Kol mock glared at Katherine as she shivered with fake fear. He carried Ava in his arms, while she was curled up into his chest, and into the kitchen where everyone else was.

"To which dogs were you referring to?" Elena smirked.

"Klaus and Tyler, duh." Kol smirked before placing Ava on the floor.

"I heard that," a voice said from the front door. Walking in just then was Tyler and Rebekah.

"I know you did, you were meant to," Kol rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and went to hug Elena. "Sup baby momma, got anything to drink?" He asked as Elena laughed.

"There's drinks all around you, the special stuff is in the freezer downstairs in the room with the red door," she smiled knowingly as Kol thanked her and vampire sped to the basement to get some blood.

"That boy has no class, I swear he was raised with the apes," Rebekah snorted.

"He's still a teenager at heart, poor thing," Stefan put a hand on his heart sarcastically.

"Says the one who continuously repeats high school every other decade," Ric chuckled and Ava looked at him.

"Uncle Steffy says he repeats high school a lot because he's pretty and he can stay pretty forever," she smiled at Stefan who gave her props.

Tyler and Rebekah walked towards the group as one of the last guests arrived, Matt, Maria, an Santana.

"Hey guys," Elena smiled and hugged Matt and Maria. Santana Donavan was Matt and Maria Donavan's 2 year old daughter, Elena and Tyler's god daughter.

"Hi," Santana said shyly.

"Hi baby, remember me? I'm Elena, Ava's mommy, I'm your godmother," Elena said softly, bending down to her height.

"I no memember you Ewena," Santana smiled shyly.

"It's okay sweetheart, wanna go in the living room and play with Ava and Jess? They're waiting for you," Elena said, directing her to the living room as Jeremy and Bonnie walked in.

"Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Bonnie!" Ava ran to them and hugged both their legs.

"HI BABY," Bonnie squealed and picked her up, giving her kisses all around her face as she squealed with laughter. "I've missed you so so so so so much!"

"I've missed you too Aunt Bonnie, and you too Uncle Jeremy," Ava extended her arms and hugged Jeremy while still in Bonnie's arms.

"I missed you too princess," Jeremy laid a kiss on her tiny forehead before she wiggled out of Jeremy's arms and went to play with the kids.

Elena smiled and looked around, taking in everyone's beautiful attire.

Stefan was wearing black dress pants with a dark purple dress shirt, black dress shoes and dark purple belt.

Caroline was wearing a grey strapless dress that flowed down beautifully straight until her mid thigh, black sandal like stilettos. Her hair curled and let down loose, all around her shoulders and back.

Klaus wore grey dress pants, black long sleeve dress shirt, grey tie, black belt, and black shoes. His hair just like it always is.

Rebekah wore a dark green silk dress with an arm strap on her left arm that went to her mid thigh, and silver pumps. Her blonde hair pin straight, half up and teased to perfection, her side swept bangs to the left.

Tyler wore a velvet blue long sleeve dress shirt, grey dress pants, black tie, black belt, and black shoes. His hair still short but sweet.

Kol was different though, he wore dark grey dressy jeans, a black T shirt, all black Jordan's, a black belt, and a dark grey blazer. His hair still in his fancy yet messy do.

Jeremy wore his black dress pants, brown t shirt, and brown shoes. His hair in its regular messy but cute style.

Bonnie wore a dark brown dress with long sleeves as it went down to her mid thigh. Tight around her body all around showing off the skinny physique. Black high heel boots that reached her knees, her hair completely straight over her shoulders.

Alaric wore a blue dress shirt with short sleeves, grey tie, grey pants, and black dress shoes.

Jenna wore a cute silky blue button up blouse with a black high waisted skirt that went just above her knees, a black belt between the two. Black flats, and her hair was long and curly pinned to one side.

Jessica wore a dark purple long sleeve shirt with a high waisted skirt in the color of black. Her hair was in a high pony tail and she wore black purple flats.

Matt wore a cashmere long sleeve dress shirt with black pants and brown shoes. His hair gelled up.

Maria wore a pink strapless dress that was tight in the chest area, had a cream colored belt under her chest/around her waist. The dress went down to an inch or so above the knee and her creamy pumps to match it. Her long blonde hair in a fancy bun with aloes strand of it curled drooping to the left side.

Santana wore a cute cashmere dress with a black ribbon bow tie around her waist as the dress flowed down to her ankles. Her socks were white and stuck out of her creamy ballet shoes. Her dirty blonde hair in natural curls reaching her shoulders.

Elena smiled as she looked at everyone socializing and laughing. They were all listening to music and Elena began to look around. A face was missing from the pile of people. Elijah.

She wanted to call his cell but decided against it because he wouldn't answer it anyway, he could never understand modern technology no matter how many times she and Kol had tried to teach him.

She decided that I'd be a good time to talk with her guests, what kind of host would she be if she didn't? She walked over to her brother who was drinking punch before immediately embracing him.

"Hello to you too sis," Jeremy laughed, encircling her in his arms.

"I've missed you, it feels so good to be home. I want a good life for Ava, the best way for that is if she's happy with family and friends," Elena confessed.

"I know, but you have to know that when you're happy, Ava's happy. Do things for yourself too," Jer stroked her hair and pulled away.

"I'm going to go talk to Bonnie, I'll be right back," Elena smiled as her younger brother nodded.

She walked over Bonnie, Matt, Caroline, and Tyler who were  
>talking about old childhood memories.<p>

"Remember that time that Caroline was trying to be nominated as class president in middle school?" Matt grinned.

"And she put up posters all around school and she spelt president wrong on all the posters she put up?" Elena chimed in as everyone laughed.

"And when she rigged the ballet so that she could win but put too many so they found out?" Tyler chuckled.

"But they didn't disqualify her because she was too much of a teacher's pet," Bonnie laughed and stuck out her tongue at Caroline.

"If I was a vampire then, I would have compelled them to make me class president," Caroline huffed making everyone roar with laughter.

"I miss this, GROUP HUG," Matt squealed and pulled the four of them in for a great big hug. They all caved in and hugged before Tyler jerked away.

"A little too close for comfort, but I missed you guys," Tyler laughed.

"Tyler, always the air headed jock with an undeniably warm heart under his male bravado," Elena laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Elena, when's the food going to be served? I'm hungry," Matt frowned.

"Oh my, the food! I'm so sorry! It's all on the counter guys, go fill yourselves some plates and eat. You don't have to wait on my account," Elena blushed embarrassedly.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and began muttering and mumbling things like 'about time,' and 'finally!' Elena walked over to Katherine and rolled her eyes, "If they were hungry they should have just dug in."

"I'm going to go get food to eat and talk to Stefan, go get Ava. Little things probably starving, hasn't eaten since breakfast," Katherine smiled and walked off. Elena walked downstairs in the hopes of finding Ava but couldn't find her. She ran upstairs and couldn't find her there either. She finally decided to look out the window of her bedroom that gave a clear view to the outside in the backyard and saw Kol and Ava laying down on the hammock under the gazebo.

* * *

><p>"What was your daddy like?" Ava asked innocently to Kol.<p>

He smiled down at her precious face and thought about his dad. Mikael. Kol looked up at the sky and held her tighter in his arms, "My dad was a mean man, he didn't like us that much," he explained.

Ava frowned and looked up at Kol, "Why didn't he like you? Was it just you or Uncle Nik, Aunt Rebekah, and Uncle Elijah too?"

"It was actually more Uncle Nik but nonetheless he didn't like us very much. But it's okay kiddo, he's gone now," Kol frowned but his smile picked up as he felt her arms tighten around her.

"It's okay, I love you. I'm sorry he was a meanie, but you have me right? And I'm nice to you, forever and ever," Ava smiled.

"I know kiddo, I know. Thank you, and I love you too," Kol smiled.

"Hey Kol, did you know my daddy?" Ava asked innocently once again.

"Yeah princess, I did," he swallowed, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Was he nice to mommy? Did he know about me? Do you think he'd love me? Do you think I'll ever be able to see him?" Ava frowned.

"He was very nice to your mommy, he loved your mommy. He didn't know about you kiddo, no one knows why he left but I hope one day you'll see him. And I'm 110% sure he'd love you, baby you're the most amazing little girl ever. Obviously have me wrapped around your finger," he nuzzled her hair with his nose. He heard her stomach rumble and frowned.

"Kol, I'm hungry," Ava smiled. Just then Elena came out of the back yard door and called out to them.

"Kol! Ava!" she yelled.

"YO BABY MOMMA, WHEN'S DINNER? YOUR GREMLIN IS STARVING," he yelled back.

"That's why I'm calling you smart ass! Time to get eat!" Elena laughed and went inside.

"I guess it's time to go inside then," Kol smiled, picking Ava up and carrying her on his hip and into the house. By the door, Ava asked her final question.

"Hey Kol, was my daddy a vampire?" she had a strange look in her face. He didn't know what to say but he vowed that he'd never lie to her. He looked over into her ocean like eyes and sympathetically smiled and nodded, giving Ava her answer.

When everyone was done eating they started putting their plates in the dish washer and thanking Elena for her generous hospitality. They began going back to their conversations and people started to get drunk and do karaoke. The only people who weren't drunk was Elena, Kol, Maria, and Bonnie, and also the kids Ava, Jessica, and Santana.

Jeremy started a game of pictionary, and half the people playing karaoke left to go play.

"C'mon Stefan, pay up. You lost!" Caroline badgered him.

"I did not! That doesn't look at all like a cup or a cake, and you wanted me to know that it said cupcake? Ugh I hate you," Stefan cried and threw 50 bucks at her.

Then all of the sudden Elijah and Isobel walked through the door.

"Uncle Elijah! Grandma!" Ava squealed and jumped into Elijah's arms as he scooped her up.

"Well hello there miss," Elijah said as he grabbed her tiny hand a placed a gentle kiss on back side of her palm. Ava giggled and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck.

"I missed you! You missed the party," Ava cried.

"I'm sorry pumpkin, grandma and I were doing research," Elijah apologized. Ava looked into Isobel's eyes as she gave a mock hurt look.

"and what am I? Chopped liver?" Isobel frowned and caught Ava when she sent herself flying into Isobel's arms.

"Hi grandma, I've missed you so much! Don't be late next time, I'm more important than your work anyway," Ava stated and snuggled into her arms.

"Ava, manners," Elena said sternly.

"Sorry Grandma," Ava smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay sweetheart," Isobel smiled. She looked over at Elena who was shaking her head and whispered to her, "She's becoming more and more like him every day."

Elena forced a smile and folded her arms over her chest, "I've noticed. My little miss has no manners," Elena laughed.

"Hi mom," Elena smiled and side hugged her mom.

"_Olá filha_, how are you?" Isobel asked her daughter. Isobel was half Portuguese and insisted that because it was a beautiful language Isobel was going to start Ava to start speaking it. Also because Elena already speaks it fluently, along with Spanish and Italian.

"I'm alright, I wish he was here though," Elena frowned and saw her daughter try to fight to stay awake.

"I know _querida_, I know," Isobel frowned and patted her back.

After a while, everyone began getting tired and couple by couple they started to head out. Bonnie, Jeremy, Klaus, Caroline, Tyler, Rebekah, Alaric, Jenna, Jessica, Matt, Maria, Santana, and Elijah all left. All that was left was Stefan, Katherine, Kol, Isobel, Elena, and a sleeping Ava in Isobel's arms.

Elena took Ava out of Isobel's arms and woke her quickly, "Sweetie, say goodnight to everyone."

Ava opened her eyes groggily and grinned drunk-like. She gave kisses to Katherine, Stefan, and Isobel. She looked at Kol and smiled, "Momma, can Kol tuck me in and read me a bed time story?"

"Sure, but only if Kol wants to," Elena chuckled. Kol brought a smile to his lips and took Ava out of Elena's arms.

"Let's go kiddo," Kol smiled and hugged her to his chest. She snuggled into him and began drifting off to sleep, her tiny hand clutching his t shirt. He placed a kiss to her forehead and brought her to her room.

"He's extremely good with Ava, you've gotta give him that," Katherine smiled.

"Ava can really change the hearts of those around her. Look what she did to Rebekah and Klaus. My mom, even you Kat," Elena grinned.

"She definitely has your magical gift of bringing people's humanity to the surface," Stefan smirked. He hugged Elena as did Katherine and they left the house. Isobel looking at her daughter.

"_Filha_, I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you as a baby and how I selfishly shut of my emotions, it wasn't fair to you, I hope you know that. I'm sorry that I'm giving Ava the attention you never received from me, but I'm trying my best," Isobel sighed.

"I know you are mom, I know," Elena smiled And hugged her.

"are you sleeping over tonight?" Elena asked.

"No, I have to get home and let my maid go home. And I have to drive up to Atlanta, important research on an old vampire I'm tracking," Isobel reasoned.

"Old vampire? Who?" Elena's interest spiked.

"I'll tell you all about it when I get back. _Boa noite minha filha linda, quidado se faz favour. Até logo, querida. Beijinhos para minha neta também, te amo,_" Isobel spoke in Portuguese.

"_Adeus mãe, te amo também_," Elena said back quietly but lovingly and closed the door when she left her.

Elena sighed at the mess of the house as Kol came down the stairs.

"Yo Baby Mama, want help with the cleaning? I happen to be an expert in the cleaning buiz," Kol smirked.

"Sure Kol, that'd be a great idea. Thanks kiddo," Elena smirked and ruffled his hair.

"I think you forget that I'm over 1000 years old, Elena," Kol laughed and Elena chimed in.

"Yeah, I noticed," Elena rolled her eyes at Kol and smiled. She went over to the garbage can and began flinging plastic cups into it. She started putting leftover food into containers and putting it into the fridge, cupboards, and pantries. Kol started sweeping the floorboards and loading up the dishwasher with soap. Elena began wiping the counter tops with disinfectant wipes before Kol was moping the front entrance from all the mud and snow mixtures that formed disgusting puddles. When Kol was done, he put the mop and bucket back into the cleaning supplies closet and walked over to the counter where Elena was. She was eating pop tarts and a glass of milk and he groaned.

"Ugh, we just did the dishes and cleaned off the sink, now you want to make more mess?" He exclaimed and jumped up on the island table.

"Oh yeah, and your germ infested rear end is much better on my newly disinfected counter tops," She rolled her eyes and laughed. He gave a slight chuckle and smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" Kol said to Elena, causing her eyebrows to furrow and her head to nod.

"Do you want to stay over? Is that what you're asking? I can tell that Klaus and Caroline might want some space and Elijah is trying to re-model his new house so he might not want you over there," Elena spoke.

"Well, that too, but I was going to ask you something about Ava. Is she a vampire or is she human? Her hearing senses are incredible and she's impossibly fast for a 3 year old. I've never seen her have a craving for blood or try to compel people before, but that could be the whole 'watch your manners' thing you installed into her head," Kol laughed quietly.

"I don't know, Kol. I think she's human, I've felt her heart beat and I've also seen her get hurt and she doesn't heal quickly at all. She could be a mixture of both, I'm not really an expert on this subject. But I've notice her running skills and her hearing abilities, they're supernatural. She's never compelled anyone, and she has never had a craving for blood either. I'm scared Kol, she's my baby. I don't want anything to happen to her," Elena shriveled with fear and Kol wrapped his arms around her and shushed her quietly.

"Nothing's going to happen to her. She's got Alaric, excellent vampire hunter. Katherine, 500+ year old Aunt/Grandma whatever who can seriously kick ass. Stefan, who can take care of her and make her laugh. Caroline, who can just about hurt anything that looks at her weirdly. Bonnie, who can use her witchy stuff and protect her. Tyler, who can use his werewolfness and bite anyone who tries to hurt her. Isobel, who would die before letting something happen to her. Rebekah and Elijah, who are impossible to kill and wouldn't stand to let anyone hurt her. Klaus, who would do anything-and I mean anything-to make sure nothing happens to her. Me, who will be like her big brother and kill anything that looks her way. Then, she has you, her loving mother to care for her whenever she needs her. She has too many people for someone to try and hurt her, don't you worry," Kol assured her before giving her a kiss on her forehead and putting Elena's dishes into the sink.

"Thanks Kol, I really needed to hear that. It's one thing to know it, it's another thing to have it addressed to you. I'm glad that you're always here for her," Elena wiped away a tear and was going to wash her dishes before Kol stopped her.

"I'll wash them and dry them for you. I'll even put them away and unload the dishwasher. Under two conditions," Kol grinned brightly.

"Should I be worried?" Elena snorted and listened intently.

"One, you go check on Ava and see if she's okay then get yourself together and go to sleep. It's been a rough day for you, I can tell. and two, you let me stay in the basement apartment thing downstairs and make me breakfast tomorrow morning," Kol smiled.

"Let me get this straight, you want to stay in my newly furnished basement which has a nice jet powered shower, entrance to the backyard, a room with a fridge stacked to the top with blood, a king size bed, a living room area, AND a kitchen. BUT you want me to make you breakfast tomorrow morning?" Elena clarified.

"Yes ma'am, if that's alright with you. I can always just go back home, I'm sure Rebekah wouldn't mind sharing a room with me for a while. But I demand breakfast tomorrow, woman. French toast and fruits and stuff, okay?" Kol smirked.

"No no, it's fine. You can stay in the basement I was just kidding. Hell, you can live down there for all I care. You just have to babysit Ava for me when I go to work and make her lunch and you might have to make dinner some nights, okay?" Elena offered Kol her deal.

"Deal. I'll wash your dishes, go take a shower, have a 'snack'; if you know what I mean, unload your dishwasher, and go to sleep," Kol explained as Elena shook her head and smiled.

"Alright then, welcome to the family. I'm going to bed now, goodnight," Elena grinned and kissed Kol on his cheek and hugged him quickly.

Kol smiled and nodded as he began to wash the dishes. Before Elena got up the stairs Kol called out to her, causing her to turn around. "Baby Momma?" He said.

"Yeah Kol?" She asked.

"I demand my breakfast by 10am the latest, and I like my French toast with just a dash of cinnamon. Also, if you could, tell your neighbour to stop walking by the front door at night. He's giving me the chills," Kol said with mock fear as Elena froze. There were no neighbours around within about 1km or 2. Kol's face turned to stone as he saw her expression and realized that it wasn't a neighbour.

"I'll go check on Ava, whatever you do, don't open the front door without me, okay?" Kol raced up the stairs into Ava's room and scooped her into his arms successfully without waking her up. She stirred in his arms and clutched onto his shirt. He raced downstairs to Elena's side and she was hiding on the stairwell.

"I'm going to go open the door, but she'll be safer in my arms than yours so don't be frightened. Stand right behind me, okay?" Kol ordered Elena as she nodded. He walked over to the front door and saw the figure at the door, the audacity this man had to stand outside a vampire's house. He opened the door fully and gripped Ava's precious body to his. He took a quick gulp and turned his face to Elena's who was frozen in shock, hurt, happiness, and anger all in one. Mostly shock.

Elena couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the man in front of her. The man who'd left without any explanation to her what so ever over four years ago. The man who helped in the creation of her beautiful daughter just two feet from her, sleeping peacefully as if nothing was going on. She looked into the eyes of the man she used to love and felt like she was going to shatter into a million pieces right there. He'd come home, but she wanted answers. Knowing that she must have looked like an idiot just standing there without saying anything, a tear rolled out of her eye and she gulped. Her throat clogged with air and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She finally rasped out one word,

"Damon?"

* * *

><p>Ouuu, cliffhanger! ha-ha, I hope you guys liked it. I took quite a while to write 9000+ words, almost 2 hours! If you're unclear with certain things, don't you worry, the second chapter will be up before you know it and you'll understand almost all of your questions. Also, the translations to the Portuguese that Elena and Isobel were speaking are here,<p>

_Olá filha = Hi daughter._

_querida = My dear._

_Boa noite minha filha linda, quidado se faz favour. Até logo, querida. Beijinhos para minha neta também, te amo = Good night my beautiful daughter, please take care. I'll see you soon, my dear. Kisses for my granddaughter as well, I love you._

_Adeus mãe, te amo também = Bye mom, I love you too._

Correct me if I made any mistakes any of you Portuguese readers/reviewers! I'm Portuguese so I'm pretty sure I did that right but I'm not perfect. Anyways, please, enjoy. Read and review, it's always good to hear back from you so I know whether to continue or stop while I'm still at the beginning. Feed back is love people! So, HIT THE REVIEW BUTTON.

-Love _Kim._


	2. Daddy?

_**Story**: Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter**: Daddy Damon?_

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor do I own the characters._

* * *

><p>There comes a time in your life when you have to remember the pain you felt when horrible things have happened to you. That time, just happens to be now. Everything that ever caused a tear to trickle down Elena's cheek, she ran away and hid from it. But now, everything was unwinding and finding its way back towards her, and she doesn't know what to do. She just knows that the pain she felt so long ago, it's hurting ten times more. It's not easy to have 4 years to grow a thick skin and be an expert to defusing hurt, then have the one who caused it all to stand in front of you.<p>

His hair still raven black, this time it was cut a bit shorter. His face still illuminating from the rich oceanic blue orbs in his eyes. His close-to-pale skin tone looking as great as it always did. His black leather jacket from all those years ago still intact along with his choice of attire. Black leather jacket, plain white tee, black fit jeans, and black boots. His arm resting on the door with his head cocked to the side. The corners of his lips began to raise in a smile-no wait, a smirk. His famous smirk that had women drooling all over him. Elena's heart broke just looking at him, it was like looking at the mirror image of his past self. His asshole-type self.

"Elena," Damon said, her name rolling off his tongue so easily and slick. Elena had to suppress the urge to cry when she heard him. His cocky voice was so irritating to her, but, he knows that. Right?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elena demanded, wiping furiously at the stray tear that fell from the right eye. Damon cocked his head to the side and his smirk widened.

"What? No hello? No welcome home kiss?" He tried to joke, but Elena had to use all her willpower not to punch him right in the face.

"Kol, take Ava away from here. To her room, downstairs with you, I don't care. Just get her out of here," Elena spoke angrily in a whisper to Kol, her eyes never leaving Damon's piercing blue ones. Kol gave Elena a sympathetic look and nodded before giving Damon a death glare.

"If you so much as hurt her, I'll rip you to shreds. You hear me?" Kol snarled at Damon who mock shivered in fake fear. Kol took a sleeping Ava in his arms and began walking downstairs to his new basement apartment in human speed, though not before Damon had a chance to look at Ava. His eyes never leaving Ava until Kol carried her out of sight. He turned back to Elena and noticed she was at the bar in her study and was pouring herself a drink and smirked.

"So what, Kol's your bitch now?" Damon remarked before Elena verbally reprimanded him.

"For your information you snot nosed pitiful jack ass, Kol's helped Ava and I through the roughest times of our lives and is probably going to continue. Seeing as you're here and the only thing that's restraining me is that little girl," Elena said through her clenched teeth before downing her favourite brand of whiskey.

"Ouch Elena, I'm hurt," Damon chuckled before turning serious, "So, who's Ava?" He asked her with serious curiosity. Elena's heart began beating extremely fast as she set down her glass of whiskey. She gripped the desk in front of her with her death grip and closed her eyes. If anyone saw her, they'd think she was about to have a seizure because of the way she was shaking. There was only one problem, there was someone who was watching, Damon. He cleared his throat and Elena snapped out of her bubble, she spoke with such love in her voice.

"She's my daughter," Elena smiled.

"Your daughter?" Damon raised his eyebrow, crossing his arms and leaning his side against the doorway. "She can't be more than 4 years old, who could you have hooked up with in such a short period of time that I was gone?" He spoke. If Elena heard correctly, she could have heard the venom being spat out at her.

"Shut the fuck up, you jack ass. You have no idea what you're talking about," Elena snapped as Damon's eyes widened. He's never seen this side of Elena before. Then out of nowhere, Damon felt the worst kind of stinging pain in his nose. Elena was breathing heavily while giving Damon her meanest death glare. Elena had just given Damon her best punch, she was sure her hand was broken. But she was too numb to feel anything. How could he just insinuate that Elena would ever hook up with anyone other than him, especially in such short time of his absence.

"I don't do I? Is that right?" Damon's eyes were cold and piercing against her hard ones. An epic battle that was being silently displayed, and by the looks of it, Elena was winning. She wasn't backing down without a fight.

"Yeah, you heard me, Damon. You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Elena spat.

"Of course I do sweetheart, not even a couple of months I was gone and you got yourself knocked up? From who? Obviously not Stefan, he's a vampire. Matt maybe?" Damon snarled sarcastically.

"No you dick, how dare you? Insinuating that I would ever cheat on you? With STEFAN? We already crossed that bridge a while ago Damon, I will NEVER choose Stefan again. And Matt, for your information, has a wife and a daughter. They were already together when you were still here, before you LEFT me. You're such a,a-," Elena shook her head as Damon's ears perked.

"A what Elena? Come right out and say it," He urged her on.

"A fucking jack ass. I won't waste my time on you. Do you realize how broken you've made me? How long it's taken me to put the pieces back together? How much of a life I've had to make for my daughter while you were gone doing God knows what? I thought you were dead, Damon. I thought that you left me because you were killed. I can obviously see that you've left me because you wanted to. Did you leave me because you wanted to? Answer me right now Damon!" Elena ranted, her arms flailing in the air.

"You don't know shit about why I left, Elena." Damon said, fusing.

"That's why I'm asking you to fucking tell me, I'm not just talking to listen to my own voice you dumbass," Elena screamed.

"You better learn how to hold your tongue, Elena. It's very un lady like," Damon reprimanded.

"Fuck that, I've held my tongue for 4 fucking years. Now tell me why you left or so help me God I will stake you where it hurts," Elena threatened, her eyes taking on a new shade of black.

"I was forced to go! Do you think I left you because I didn't want you anymore? Did you think I left you because I wanted to leave you? Do you not know anything about me? It was either I flee or you die, that was not a chance I was willing to take. You remember Sage? Well, she's a hell of a lot more demanding than Katherine. Not to mention a hell of a lot older than her too. She told me that if I didn't leave you, she would kill you. She told me she would kidnap you and put you through the most painful agony you could ever imagine. So I left. I would rather die or be the bad guy and let you hate me if it would protect you, God damnit! Don't you understand? It wasn't in my best interest that I left, it was in yours. All I have ever done has been for you. But what do I get in the end? Hurt and confused. Not to mention broken," Damon snarled at her. His eyes began to shine from the crystal like tears forming behind his eyes but he was determined not to let his bravado down.

"Damnit Damon. You could have fucking said something. You should have told me! You didn't have to let me do this alone for four years. Four whole fucking years. To fend for myself? To raise Ava all by myself and leave here because I couldn't stand the pain anymore? If you had told me I would have helped you find a way out of this!" Elena snapped. She picked up her now empty cup of whiskey and threw it into the wall.

"What the hell did you want me to do? I did this for you. I didn't just leave you to run off with Sage. I was FORCED to leave you, Elena! I wouldn't be able to live without you. You know what? You're such a hypocrite. You would have down the same thing, you're a stubborn self righteous martyr for God's sake! Don't you dare tell me it was the wrong thing to do. And to take care of yourself? You're a big girl Elena, you can take care of yourself. You don't need me with you all the time. And as for Ava, had I been here you wouldn't have slept with whoever it was that you slept with and gotten pregnant with her in the first place. You obviously don't need me to help you take care of some other man's baby," Damon ranted. Elena was so enraged she began throwing books from the stocked shelves at his body.

"Don't you dare talk about her that way you asshole. She would have still been here if you left me or not!" Elena screamed while continuing to throw books at Damon's head and body.

"You're telling me you would have cheated on me whether I was here or not? Are you kidding me? After completely yelling at me for leaving you to protect you? Of course, I'm such an idiot. You don't love me. You never did. You just used me. You weren't happy with me, you obviously wanted something else. Well congratulations Elena, I hope you and your baby daddy are happy with your new found family!" Damon yelled at Elena. She finally gave up on throwing books at him and wiped her eyes before sobbing uncontrollably.

"Do you hear yourself when words escape your mouth? You impulsive, enraging dick! Don't you dare twist my words around to make yourself seem like less than a hurtful jack ass! Of course I love you! Of course I loved you! Obviously I was happy with you! Don't you understand why I'm so angry Damon? Don't you have a clue? Do I have to fucking spell it out for you? Ava, is, yours!" Elena screamed at him before staring at his confused face.

"Really Elena? We're playing this? The whole 'get me back by telling me I'm the father of your child'? That may work on a human, but I'm not an idiot. Vampires can't procreate. Try that again," Damon's cold and hard eyes piercing into hers.

Elena was absolutely shocked at his words. He actually thought that she was just lying to him to get him back? She didn't even know she needed to get him back in the first place. Elena angrily went to her files and found Ava's birth records and pictures of her. She pulled out her birth certificate, a couple of pictures of her, and Elena and Katherine posing at the Boarding House while Elena was pregnant. She gave him a cold stare as he looked at her confused. She shook her head and spoke.

"She's yours, Damon. Born May 21st 2008, approximately 9 months after the last time we were intimate. Approximately 8 months after you left me. Katherine, Stefan, anyone could be able to tell that your her father. Look at her, Damon. Her blue eyes that look exactly like yours? Her place skin just like yours? Her raven black hair like yours? Look at this and tell me that you're not her father. Look me in the eye after looking at this evidence and tell me you're not her father," Elena cried.

Damon looked at her evidence and gulped. He never felt as guilty or as upset in his whole life. He shook his head at Elena and looked in her eyes. "Why am I only finding out about this now? Why didn't you tell me when you found out? For God's sake you were pregnant before I had left! Any other surprises you want to throw in my face? Like you had twins and the other one's just upstairs?" Damon fused.

"You have no right to be angry with me you jerk. If anyone's allowed to be angry, it's me. I'm not even angry that you left us to be with Sage. I understand why you left me. But don't you dare get mad at an innocent child. If you think of her as some kind of abomination in your life than get the hell out of my house. Go back to wherever you came from if you're going to think that way about my baby because she's too good for your remarks. She's the most special and best thing that has ever happened to me, if you can't accept that then you've come to the wrong place," Elena spat.

"That's not what I meant, I'm just shocked. I never knew vampires could have kids and then this gets thrown in my face? For God's sake, this isn't Twilight! Give me some time," Damon spoke softly before picking up one of the pictures of Ava having Stefan in a headlock. He smiled slightly at the picture before watching Elena from the corner of his eye. He watched as she put her jacket on and her boots and blurred in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon demanded.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to clear my head and walk around. If you're still here when I'm back, God help you Damon. And if you follow me, I will stake you and not think twice about it," Elena reached for the door.

"That's it? You're going to drop a bomb on me and then you're going to leave me? Are you that shallow?" Damon's eyes widened as she pushed him against the wall. She got right up to his ear and spoke softly.

"I've waited a long time for you, Damon. I've waited for you because I love you. I haven't given up on you because it would kill me to do that. But right now, I just need some time to myself. You can't just expect me to welcome you with open arms and kisses just yet. I need time," she backed away and a tear fell down her cheek.

"I can't lose you again, Elena. It's been too long. I don't know if I can stand another minute without you," Damon sighed before wiping Elena's cheek free of the tear that had just fallen. She backed away and looked him in the eyes.

"I'll be here tomorrow, please Damon, just go home. You can come over tomorrow and we can discuss whatever it is that we need to talk about. I just want some time to think," Elena spoke sternly. She decided that she wasn't going to take a walk right now. What she needed was Kol and Ava. She could talk to Katherine and Stefan tomorrow if she needed to. She began taking off her boots and jacket and saw Damon still standing there by the door.

"Do you want something?" Elena retorted, agitated as to why he wasn't obeying her and leaving, respecting her wishes.

"Why is Kol with my daughter downstairs?" Damon's eyes narrowed into slits and Elena put her head in her hands, shaking it.

"Kol is downstairs with MY daughter because she's trying to sleep but she has a too good sense of hearing, something she obviously inherited from you. He's trying to keep her company, like I said, he has been here for us when you weren't. Show a little respect, Damon," Elena rolled her eyes.

"I'll be back here tomorrow by 11am. We obviously have a lot to discuss," he said before opening the door. Before he left, he spoke to Elena once more, "Oh and Elena? Not yours, ours," he spoke before shutting the door and walking out into the darkness.

Elena walked into the library and began fixing up the books, it was a complete mess. She didn't even recognize herself there for a second when she was flash backing to when she broke the glass, punched Damon, and threw all the books at him. She shuddered when she began thinking about how badly she treated him. Of course, she had her reasons for doing what she did but she never used violence. Damon brings out the worst in Elena but when thinking back, Damon also brings out the best in Elena as well. She sighed as she picked up 11 books, she had her book shelf stocked in alphabetical order. After putting in the last book, she grabbed a broom and dustpan to pick up all of glass from her whiskey cup.

When all was cleaned up, Elena went to her bedroom to change into her long sleeve pajama t-shirt and matching pajama pants. Elena walked down into the basement and peered into Kol's bedroom. She smiled as she saw Ava curled up into a ball on the left side and Kol on the right side, both of them having their backs toward each other. Elena didn't want to sleep alone tonight and felt as though she needed comfort. Considering her only two comfort people were down in Kol's bedroom, Elena felt the need to sleep here with them too. She didn't want this to look inappropriate but she didn't care who walked in and saw, she needed the comfort. She walked over to Kol's side of the bed an looked down at his sleeping form. His mouth slightly ajar, his hair ruffled and messy, his head on the pillow while his arms were under the pillow. She climbed in to the further left side and pulled the covers over both her and Kol. She turned he back to him and felt him groan slightly and shift under the covers.

"Sup Baby Mama, what are you doing here?" Kol smiled and propped himself on his elbows and Elena turned around.

"I had a fight with Damon upstairs, I just didn't want to be alone in my bed," Elena frowned. Kol pulled Elena into his arms and kissed her hair. She snuggled into his chest and let him wrap his arm around her. She smiled when she heard him begin to snore softly. She was happy with the relationship she had with Kol. He never asked any questions that didn't need to be asked, he isn't ask too much and he didn't ask too little. He understands her and she was grateful. He doesn't like when she announces that he's a good guy because it hurts his 'bad boy rep' but to Elena he was a sweetheart and to Ava he was her favorite person in the world aside from Elena herself.

"Goodnight Kol," Elena snuggled closer to him and drifted off to sleep. Before darkness over came her, she heard the faintest words from Kol.

"Sweet dreams Baby Mama," he said.

* * *

><p>Damon walked into the Salvatore Boarding House and was immediately thrown against the wall, a strong and aggressive hand wrapped tightly around his neck. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Elena staring at him with her face full of vampire features. He flinched and his head was thrown back against the wall. He then realized that it wasn't Elena who was viciously attacking him, it was Katherine. She threw Damon on the floor and blurred on top of him, pinning him down once again. Stefan came running through the corridor and was shocked to see his girlfriend strangling his brother.<p>

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Damon yelled at Katherine before kicking the area behind her knees and pinning her down on the other side of the floor. She punched his abdomen and blurred over to Stefan, her fangs still protruded.

"Me? What the hell do you think you're doing in this house? We thought you were dead, you left us. You left us all! I want a damn explanation before I run a stake down your throat and into your heart!" Katherine threatened. Stefan put a hand on her shoulder and she calmed herself down. She smiled over and Stefan who did the same and they both gave menacing glares to the estranged brother in the middle of the room.

"Sage. She threatened to kill Elena, right before my eyes. I wasn't going to take that chance, she had already killed Jeremy's girlfriend in front of me, I was certain she wasn't going to hesitate to kill Elena. So I left with her and now, I'm back," Damon explained before walking over to his little mini bar and grabbing a glass of bourbon.

"Are you kidding? Then why was it so hard to find you? And how did you even get back?" Stefan exclaimed while Katherine was angrily sharpening a stake.

"I'm not kidding you, Stef. I'm not fucking joking. You think I would leave Elena for Sage of all people? You need a reality check. It was obviously hard to find me because her witchy friend put a spell on both of us to stay hidden from all creatures. Witches, vampires, werewolves, hybrids, all those sorts. I'm back because my deal with Sage is over. That was the deal, I help her out for 5 years and then she lets me go," Damon said.

"You expect us to believe that she just let you go after 5 years? It hasn't even been 5 years since you left us all, there's no way in hell I'm believing you," Katherine yelled harshly.

"Let's just say I was let off the hook a couple of months early. Good deeds and all," Damon smirked and downed the last of his bourbon. He stood over the bar and poured himself another glass of amber liquid and walked over to a wall beside the fireplace. There were new pictures that Damon had quickly noticed. They were of Ava. Ava and Stefan, Ava and Katherine, Ava and Katherine with Stefan, Elena with Ava, and also one of all four of them together. His heart broke at the sight of his daughters face. It was Elena's happiness with Damon's face on it. Of course he felt guilty about leaving Ava and Elena but what was he to do? Let Sage kill Elena right when she was pregnant with Ava so that both of them would die, or run off with Sage for 5 years and come back to his loving family?

"I take it that you guys are close?" Damon asked, his eyes never leaving the pictures.

"Yeah, of course we are. Someone had to be there for them while you were AWOL," Katherine hissed. He had to admit, that stung.

"Do you know about her?" Stefan said softly as Damon turned his head at him and nodded silently. Stefan bowed his head in understanding and walked over to Damon, he put his hand on his shoulder.

"How is she? What's she like?" Damon asked softly, taking comfort to the arm Stefan placed on his shoulder.

"She's great. She's absolutely amazing. She's well mannered thanks to Elena but she has her snarky moments. She's exactly like you, only a little more polite thanks to Elena. She's the smartest 3 year old I've ever seen, literally. We think it's because she matures faster than any normal human baby because she's a half breed," Stefan explained.

"Tell me about her, is she human? Is she a vampire?" Damon pleaded softly. Katherine walked over to them and looked up to Damon's oceanic blue eyes.

"As far as we know, she has a heartbeat. Ava can't exactly compel people right, and she doesn't drink blood. She eats regular human food and she doesn't have fangs. Also, she doesn't heal quickly when she gets hurt. But she's strong. Strongest 3 year old we've ever seen. When I mean strong I mean mentally, emotionally, but most importantly, physically. She runs incredibly fast, almost as fast as us. Her hearing is impeccable, it's way more effective than ours. She can hear better than an original can," Katherine smiled. When Katherine mentioned original, Damon shuddered. Remembering how Kol was taking care of HIS daughter and then he began remembering Klaus and all the other originals.

"Originals? Klaus? Rebekah? Elijah? Kol? Finn? What about them? Have they been a danger to Elena or Ava?" Damon asked with worry and curiosity in his voice. Katherine looked over at Stefan for some help and he just stared back at her. Damon's eyebrows raised at the two of them.

"Damon, they're not a danger to us anymore. Rebekah and Tyler are together and even though she is still an evil conniving bitch that I absolutely hate, she and Ava are on good terms. Rebekah isn't a threat to us, Ava actually refers to Rebekah as 'Aunt Rebekah'," Katherine explained quickly.

"Are you kidding? My daughter refers to Rebekah as Aunt?" Damon's eyes widened in horror.

"Yeah, and she does that with the rest of them too. Finn's gone though, he had a fall out with Klaus a couple of years back. Klaus was on a rampage one day and demanded that Elena hand Ava over to her when she was born because he wanted more hybrids but Elena refused. Elena proposed the idea that if the hybrids impregnate a human woman then there would be no use for her blood, much less the blood of Ava's. Klaus didn't think it could work but Elena told him that if you, a vampire, could get her pregnant, then so could a hybrid. Klaus admired her for her suggestion and spared their lives. After Ava was growing up Klaus and Caroline got together and his 'evil mask' came off. He's the exact opposite of that when it comes to Elena and Ava now a days. He's actually protected them a few times now. Ava refers to him as 'Uncle Nik'," Katherine smirked.

"I don't think I'll ever get passed that. That evil bastard wanted us all dead before I left, I don't think I could see him as anything different. You're all completely naive," Damon's eyes widened with doubt and horror once more.

"Don't be so quick to judge, Klaus actually tried searching for you for 3 years. After that he gave up. He couldn't trace you anywhere, we thought you died," Katherine's smirk deflated.

"And Elijah? Kol?" Damon's curiosity spiked.

"Elijah is the same old same old. He's a big softy. He and Ava are on good terms, along with Elena as well. Kol on the other hand. He's such a bad kid but with Ava he's the biggest sweetheart. He's like a big brother figure to her, they're best friends. He's a complete and total asshole when he's away from them but with them he changes into a sweet kid. He's always helping Elena with whatever she needs. Elena told me that he's going to be living there with them for a while in the newly finished basement apartment. He's not the same kid who's neck you snapped at the ball that one night, he's different now," Katherine smiled.

"Great, he's taking the 'daddy' spot from me now. That jackass," Damon whispered to himself as Katherine punched his gut. He groaned in response.

"Listen, just because you left for a legitimate reason doesn't mean that you can be a dick. Kol's been there because you weren't and we're all grateful for that. Please, don't screw anything up. No one is going to accept you with open arms just yet. Be patient. The only one who's probably going to welcome you with open arms is Ava, but don't take advantage of that because Elena will probably kick your ass, got it?" Katherine said before walking over to Stefan.

"Your room is still upstairs, no one's touched it since you left. Except for Elena who's cleaned it but that's it," Stefan said before he and Katherine walked over to their room. The guilt in Damon's body starting to sink in as he blurred into his room and took a shower.

* * *

><p>Stefan knew his brother was beating himself up over everything that was going on, he knew Damon like the back of his hand. Katherine had just finished giving him a beat down and all Stefan did was watch. Sure, in theory, Damon deserved a hell of a lot more than what Katherine did but just watching it made him shiver. He walked up his stairs and called out Katherine's name, and heard the water running. He walked into his room and seen heard Katherine in the shower so he turned the corner and began talking. Knowing that she could hear him with her vampire hearing.<p>

"Babe?" He called out. She turned around and raised her eyebrows in a way that asked 'yeah?'

"I think that we should cut Damon some slack, he's obviously going through a rough time as it is. It's not every day that you find out that you left a daughter behind while you were kidnapped," Stefan began to reason with her. Though taking it cautiously because Katherine had quite the temper.

"Are you kidding? That jerk deserves more than when he's got. Let him wallow in his sorrows and guilt. Let him feel what Elena's been feeling for 4 years. He deserves all of it," she narrowed her eyes at him. Stefan sighed as he washed his face and put on his shirt for bed.

"Yeah, but, don't you think we're being a little rough on him? Sure Elena's been miserable but she had Ava to make up for it and Damon was out there to save their lives. Without that we wouldn't be here where we are today. Together. I'd still be a brooding mess and you'd still be a ruthless and dangerous person," Stefan said as Katherine turned off the water and cocked her hair to the side, her jaw slack and her head shaking side to side.

"What?" Stefan raised his arms up to show his confusion.

"You just called me a ruthless and dangerous person," Katherine huffed.

"You were, can you blame me? You were dangerous and a psychotic woman too," Stefan chuckled.

"I still am, just don't be so blunt about it. It can hurt a woman's feelings you know," Katherine smirked as she reached out and put a towel around herself.

"It's okay, makes up for great make up sex later," Stefan smirked and kissed Katherine was such passion and desire. She smirked and kissed him back just as passionately, loving the whole 'Sexy Stefan' and 'Blunt Stefan' rolled into one.

* * *

><p>Elena groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She was taking in her surroundings and noticed she was in her basement apartment. She looked around and noticed an arm wrapped around her mid section. She chuckled as she remembered where she was and why she was here. Elena got up and walked over to the door, turning it slightly and walking out. Leaving a peacefully sleeping Kol and Ava in the room. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed it was 7:47 am. She knew she had work today so she ascended the stairs and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast for the three of them. Remembering how Kol 'demanded' breakfast, French toast to be exact.<p>

She pulled out the ingredients and began making breakfast. Not long after, she had a plate of French toast set on the island table. She put two pieces on Ava's plate and four on Kol's. Kol usually eats a lot, so she put twice of what Ava would eat. Elena put the rest of the French toast, which consisted of two pieces, on her own plate. She pulled maple syrup, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and fruits from the refrigerator and placed them on the counter. Elena poured some cinnamon, powdered sugar, and maple syrup on all of the pieces of toast before cutting up fruits for Ava and Kol. Such as, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. She put a couple of blueberries on her own French toast and poured them all glasses of milk. When she was done, she did a basic clean up before calling Kol and Ava to the table.

She went downstairs and woke up Kol who groaned in protest and put his head under a pillow, muttering for her to go away.

"Fine, then you won't get any breakfast. No French toast for you," Elena smirked and woke up Ava. Ava smiled and wrapped her arms around her mother.

"Morning Momma," Ava said tiredly.

"Good morning to you too, Baby. C'mon, breakfast is ready on the table," Elena smiled as Ava's face brightened, she ran towards the door and dashed up the stairs. Kol, sensing Ava's presence to be gone, took the pillow off his face and looked at Elena.

"Breakfast?" Kol smirked sleepily.

"Yeah, you told me you wanted French toa-" Elena said before Kol cut her off by blurring up the stairs. She laughed and shook her head as she walked up the stairs to join them. They ate and joked around during breakfast before Elena checked the time. It was 8:45 am and Elena jumped.

"Kol, can you do me a favour? I have to go to work today, I have to manage the Café today and I gotta be there by 11. Can you clean up and watch Ava while I get ready please?" Elena pleaded while putting her plate and cup in the dish washer.

"Yeah sure, go get ready. Do you want me to babysit her today? I can bring her by the Café at lunch?" Kol suggested to her while Elena was half way up the stairs.

"That would be great, thank you!" She exclaimed as Kol shook his head and began loading the dishwasher with all the dishes they used during breakfast. He got Ava to help him clean up downstairs as Elena was getting ready upstairs.

Elena finished showering and began walking out of the shower wrapped in her towel and slippers. She dried herself off before wrapping her hair in a towel and sauntered into her closet and pulled out her clothes for work and set them on her bed. She walked into the bathroom and began blow drying her hair until not a strand of hair felt damp, then pulled out her flat iron and curling iron. She straightened her hair to make it silky smooth and ran a sweet smelling cream through it with her hands, making it shiny. She pulled her hair into a professional looking pony tail and curled the pieces of hair hanging down out of the pony tail. She applied light makeup; a creamy brown Smokey eye look, foundation, blush, and a nice shade of red coloured lipstick. On her bed were her clothes and shoes on the floor. She put on her see through black stockings, a short black pencil skirt, a small and thin red belt that looped through the skirt, a thin red turtle neck sweater that was tucked into the skirt, black leather boots with heels an inch or two off the ground, and a black leather trench coat on top.

Elena walked down the stairs to find Kol and Ava having a friendly argument about what to have for dinner. Elena chuckled as she walked over to her daughter and gave her a big hug and kiss.

"I'll see you at lunch time, mommy will make you something at the cafe. I'll make you grilled cheese and fries or something, okay baby? Be good for Kol and I'll see you soon," Elena said as Ava nodded.

"You got it momma, and don't worry, I'm always nice to Kol. I love you mommy, see you soon," Ava said and gave Elena a big kiss on the lips.

"I love you too sweetheart. Kol, you remember how to drive, right?" Elena said with caution as Kol let out a guttural laugh.

"I'm not that dumb, you taught me a while ago. I've been driving since you taught me. Don't worry, everything will be fine. It's 10:30 right now so you better get going, I'll bring her by after we get ready and we'll be there for lunch around 12," Kol said as Elena smirked. She walked over to the counter and picked up her keys before examining them. She made sure that she had the house keys garage door key, the car key, and the multiple cafe keys. Elena smiled at Kol and Ava and kissed Kol's cheek.

"Bye guys, I love you. See you soon," Elena said before stepping out into the January air and into her car. Considering the fact that they live in Mystic Falls, they don't receive much snow like most other places. The drive way was huge, bigger than the one at the Salvatore Boarding House. Elena's car was parked inside of her creamy coloured garage doors because it was winter. She owned a black 2012 Porsche Cayenne SUV with leather seats. Elena unlocked the doors, got into the car, and drove off to her Café.

* * *

><p>Elena parked her car in the parking lot she grabbed her purse from the backseat and her pulled out her phone to check the time, it was 10:58. It's not as if she has anyone to report to if she's late, considering it's her Café and she owns it, but she doesn't like breaking promises to her workers. She locked her doors and set forth to the Café. Just as she entered the door, Lucy, an employee, came walking towards her.<p>

"Girl, you look stunning," Lucy smiled as Elena blushed.

"Thank you. The jacket is new," Elena responded. She took pride in her Café because the Café was something Elena felt she had complete control over and something she could have complete authority over. She made the Café look like home. It was a medium sized lot within a large amount of stores beside it and it was the coziest Café anyone's seen around town. The entrance was beautiful. There was a glass door with white italic cursive painted onto the door saying "Elena's," and it was even better inside. After opening the door there is an open path to the front counter, tables to your left and tables to your right. There were booths against the walls and many open glass windows. Bar stools lay at the front counter and further to the right of that counter was a register. The place was beautifully lit by the outdoor lights during the day and extraordinarily beautifully lit during the evening. There were pots lights in the ceiling all around and stringing lights on the ceiling as well. The wall colour was a relaxing caramel colour and the floor was made of soft and smooth white oak.

Elena insisted that it was made of fake white oak because she didn't want her original friends to feel uncomfortable in her Café, she wanted everyone to feel welcome.

There were beautiful black and white pictures on the walls and wall stickers of black trees emerging from the walls and a flock of birds that were painted to look as if they were trying to fly peacefully to the window. There were lone tables with just one chair for people who just want to come here to do their work and have a coffee by themselves as well.

Elena walked over to the back and put her coat and purse in her office before locking up. There was plenty of people at the cafe today as always and plenty of charming employees working. Klaus and Caroline were having lunch here as well, waiting for Elena she assumed. Elena walked over to the couple and Klaus's face lit up.

"Elena, love. We've been waiting for you," Klaus said warmly as Elena smiled brightly and tied her apron around her waist.

"Elena, Oh my God. We have something to tell you, I'm not sure how you're going to take it," Caroline spoke quietly. This peaked Elena's interest so she scooted over beside Klaus and listened intently.

"Okay, I was talking to Stefan and Katherine this morning. You're never going to believe who's in town as of last night," Caroline screeched.

"Damon, I know. Strolled through my house yesterday, prick," Elena scoffed.

"What happened? What'd he say?" Caroline encouraged Elena to continue.

She began thinking back to last night. The arrogant attitude, the disrespect towards Ava and Kol, the punch, the distorted room, the accusations that Elena was just kidding around about Ava being Damon's daughter. While Elena began thinking back she remembered that Damon was supposed to be at Elena's house by 11 sharp.

As if on purpose, Elena's cell began vibrating in her pocket. She picked up the phone and stared the iPhone right in the screen. The number still makes her heartbeat as fast as a cheetah running, Damon. She decided to let it go to voicemail.

"Who was that?" Klaus raised his eyebrow.

"Damon," Elena sighed, "I'll call or see you guys later, I really need to get back to work. I need to help serve people and then I have work to do in my office and then I have Kol and Ava coming over for lunch."

"We understand, we're going to stick around for a while actually. We have a feeling something's going to go down," Caroline replied. Elena gave her a suspicious look but because she needed to get back to work she decided not to push it.

Elena walked over to Lucy and offered to take her place as she took over the register, Lucy agreed to Elena's proposal and took over to man the register. She started serving people and taking their orders, talking to them about irrelevant and non important things like the weather and how wonderful Elena's cakes were when the bell rang at the door. Someone had opened the door to the Café. Elena didn't bother looking because it wasn't unusual for people to walk through the door at this time an it wasn't 12 yet so it couldn't be Kol and Ava.

Elena began to take over the register while Lucy was on her break. She was giving change to a customer when a man with black fit jeans, a grey tee, and a black leather jacket came and sat at the bar stool at the counter beside the register.

"Why haven't you been answering my phone calls?" the man had asked Elena.

"I'm working Damon, I don't have time to answer your phone calls while I'm at work," Elena groaned.

"I told you I was going to be at your house by 11 sharp. You didn't think to tell me that you would be here and not there at 11? I had to find out that you work here from Stefan and I had to drive my ass all the way over here," Damon glared at her.

" Yes, I work here. I have to obviously provide for my family somehow," Elena glared back. Giving change to a customer who was paying at the front.

"That was a low blow, Elena," Damon's eyes narrowed at her before he glanced around the Café.

"You went to college to be a waitress at a Café, really?" Damon's eyebrow raised.

"No, I went to university to be the owner of a Café. It's mine, it's my business. Not that your mind could understand, you probably didn't see the sign on the door or on the roof. The big, 'Elena's', on it?" Elena rolled her eyes and gave a smile to Mrs. Flowers who had just asked for a piece of pecan pie. She took out a slice and gave it to her as a grin came onto her face.

"I want to talk about Ava," Damon blurted.

"What do you want to talk about?" Elena's eyes narrowed to Damon's.

"I was talking to Katherine, after getting my ass kicked, and she told me about Ava's abilities. Her speed, and strength," Damon spoke quietly.

"Damon, what you have to understand is that I'm not an expert on vamp-doppelganger babies. I don't know what she is except for my baby. I'm happy with just that," Elena sighed.

"Happy without me?" Damon asked, eyebrows furrowed and mouth slightly ajar. Elena's breath was caught in her throat, tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head and sighed. Lucy was coming back to the register so Elena walked into her office and wiped her tears. She wouldn't cry in front of Damon, she just wouldn't. She grabbed a tissue from the box of tissues on the desk and began dabbing her face of the tears as Damon walked through the door. Damon gave her a sympathetic look and reached out to hug her. She was so weak that she gave into the hug. He embraced her with such love and longing as she returned it with the same affections.

"I'm sorry Elena, I really am. I don't know how to act anymore. I haven't seen us have this much angst between us since you and Stefan were together. I'm not expecting you to welcome me home with open arms but I want that more than anything. I'm no expert to babies either. I spent so long hating kids, I just don't know how to act around them. You're not the only one who's scared," Damon confessed.

"It wasn't easy for me either you know, I'm still scared. I'm sure you'll be great with Ava, you'll just need to warm up to her and her to you," Elena said. She looked up at him with doe eyes that he hasn't seen glisten since he saw her those many years ago. He smirked down at her and leaned closer, just inches away from her rosy red lips.

"God I've missed you," Elena spoke breathlessly and pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips almost touching when Damon heard footsteps and backed away. She looked rejected and appalled that he would just back away from her when she was about to kiss him. He shot her a sympathetic look before hiding in her coat closet with a smirk hidden on his face.

"Elena, your daughter is here," Lucy said after she opened the door with a gigantic smile on her face.

"Thanks Lulu. Can you tell Kol that I'll be out in just a sec? I just have to file something and I'll be right with them," Elena explained, fixing her desk as Lucy gave her a smirk.

"I will, say hi to Damon for me," Lucy chuckled as she shut the door. Just then, Damon came out of the closet. No pun intended. And smiled at Elena.

"Witchy works for you?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, she asked me for a job because she ran into trouble with money down south and had no education," Elena explained as she filed her paper work and stood up beside Damon.

"Ava and Kol are out there. Now could be a good time to get to know her," Elena smiled softly.

"I don't think so, Kol is there. I don't want to bond with my daughter when Kol is right there watching me," Damon inwardly growled.

"Be nice. Kol has done a lot for Ava and I. And as of right now he lives in my basement apartment," Elena warned him as she walked out of her office and into the Café. She noticed that Klaus and Caroline were making their way out of the Café. Klaus saying goodbye to his brother and Ava as Caroline hugged them both and said her goodbyes as well. Ava saw Elena and beamed herself out of Kol's arms and onto the floor, running towards Elena. She chuckled as she picked up her daughter. Ava nestled her head on Elena's shoulder as her arms joined around her neck. Ava looked up and saw Damon's face. She smiled greatly and waved at him. But a few seconds later her smile dropped and she shut her eyes quickly, shivering in Elena's arms. This alarmed Elena so she quickly brought her to the back where Elena's office is and sat her down on the desk, her eyes still sealed shut.

"What's the matter, baby? Are you okay?" Elena asked with her worrisome voice. Her hands grabbing Ava's arms, neck, and face. Ava's eyes sprung open and she looked down at the floor.

"He said I was his daughter," Ava shuddered, "What does he mean by that?" Ava's innocent eyes bore into Elena's. Just then Damon and Kol walked in, Damon's face frozen.

"Way to be discrete Damon!" Elena hissed. Damon's eyes fell upon Elena's.

"What on earth are you talking about? I didn't do anything," Damon said.

"You said I was your daughter," Ava said to Damon. Damon's eyebrows furrowed and he stared into her eyes.

"I didn't say a word to you," he said.

"Yes you did, I heard you. You said 'my daughter, she looks exactly like me,' you said I was your daughter," Ava clarified. Damon's eyes widened and he blurred right in front of her kneeling down to her level.

"Try it again," Damon said. Elena and Kol's eyes stared at each other before turning their confusion to Ava and Damon.

"What the hell is going on Damon?" Elena demanded an answer.

"What did I say?" Damon asked Ava. She smiled at him and blushed, picking at the ends of her sleeves.

"You said I'm the most beautiful baby girl in the world and that my eyes are like looking into a reflection of your own," Ava smiled timidly. Damon's face broke out into a smile as he just began admiring her beauty. She was his little girl after all.

"Damon, answer me!" Elena squealed, completely oblivious to what was going on.

"Ava can read people's minds," Damon stated. Ava looked at Damon and opened her arms wide for Damon to accept. He grinned and picked her up, hugging her along the way.

"What are you talking about? She can read minds?" Kol's eyebrows furrowed.

"She read my mind," Damon smiled.

"Are you my daddy? For real?" Ava smiled timidly before clasping her hands together and looking him dead in the eye. Elena began crying and she smiled.

"Yeah baby, he is," Elena said carefully not to cause Ava any trauma. Ironically she linked her arms around his neck and hugged him sweetly. He returned the hug and kissed her head. A tear falling out of his eye. She backed away from him and smiled at his face.

"Hi Princess," Damon grinned as she wiped his tear off his face with her tiny thumb.

"Hi Daddy," Ava smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek before looking at her mom who had tear stained cheeks.

"Why you crying Momma? You should be happy! Happy happy happy! Daddy's home!" Ava squealed as Damon gave Ava to Elena.

"These aren't sad tears they're happy tears. I'm so happy Daddy is home," Elena rested her head on Ava's shoulder and began to stop crying. They hadn't realized that Kol had left part way through their family time, and because of it she was grateful. Elena quickly wiped her tears and made sure her eyes were not puffy and red before settling Ava on her hip.

"Momma, I'm hungry," Ava sighed and rested her head on Elena's shoulder. Elena smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'll get Abby to make you something. Maybe she'll make you grilled cheese and French fries!" Elena squealed as Ava chanted 'yay' three times. Damon couldn't help but smile at his family. What's better than coming home to this? What else could he ever ask for? They began walking out of the office and into the Café together, Ava sat down on the bar stool by the counter with Damon on her other side. Elena ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and fries for Ava as Abby made it top priority that Ava has her meal before anyone else. Not long after Elena was working at the register and Ava was eating lunch, Damon just giving his family loving looks.

"Hey Elena, I'm going out tonight. Don't wait up too late, okay?" Kol said after emerging from the restroom. Elena looked at him suspiciously before smirking.

"Why are you staying out so late?" Elena asked. Ava turned around out of Damon's lap and looked at Kol with her innocent smile as she stuck a couple of fries into her mouth.

"Yeah Kol, why are you going to stay out late?" Ava smirked with her mouth full as Kol smirked back and stuck out his tongue. Elena gave him a stern look that told him not to teach or encourage Ava to stick out her tongue because it was impolite.

"Ava Marie Salvatore what did I tell you about talking with your mouth full. Mind your manners young lady, especially in public," Elena scolded as Ava pouted and shrunk closer into Damon's lap and murmured a small apology and continued eating. Damon eyed Elena as she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Are you always this strict about manners?" Damon said in a hushed voice as Elena's eyes narrowed on his. She scowled before answering his question.

"Yes Damon, I am very strict on manners. I don't want people to talk about how she is not properly mannered and criticize her upbringing because of it. I will not have my daughter, or actually, our daughter, being impolite and rude. She's got enough of you as it is, let her just be a well mannered young lady," Elena's eyes narrowed on Damon's silently pleading that he respect her wishes and pursue her wish that Ava constantly be reminded of her manners to learn them for when she grows up. He threw his hands up in surrender and smile when she loosed up. Damon looked around and saw that Kol went outside to his car.

"What time does your shift finish?" Damon asked.

"It finishes whenever I want it to finish. I was going to go to my office and do some property taxes and sort out the financial things after 1 and then leave around 3. I can get Abby to close up for me tonight though, why do you ask?" Elena responded while smiling politely at the elderly lady paying for her meal. Elena gave the woman her change and thanked her, sauntering out the door and on her way before Damon responded.

"I just wanted to know because I wanted to know if you wanted to go over some stuff. Like living arrangements or visiting hours or whatever it is you want to do," Damon said in a hushed voice because he didn't want Ava to question them.

"What's a living arrangement, Daddy?" Ava asked sweetly.

"It's where two adults figure out what their plan is going to be when or if they live together, sweetheart," Damon replied as Ava smiled.

"Mommy, is Daddy going to live with us now that he's home?" Ava asked her mom, her eyes twinkling as she stared into her mothers' eyes.

"I don't know, baby. Daddy and I have to talk about this later," Elena said giving Damon a stern look. She pulled out her cell phone and told Kol he was on babysitting duty until Elena was done work and not even 8 seconds later Kol had Ava in his arms.

"Say bye to Mommy and Daddy, Ava," Kol smiled and walked towards to the exit door of the Café with Ava wrapped in his strong and muscular arms.

"Bye Mommy, bye Daddy!" Ava waved before blowing her mom a kiss and laying her head tiredly on Kol's shoulder. It was close to her naptime so Ava had grown quite tired. Damon smiled at his daughter and looked behind him, Elena was walking to the back to her office.

"Damon, we can discuss living arrangements tomorrow or something, right now I just want to talk to you," Elena sighed as she shut the door when Damon walked in. He looked at her and gave her an expectant look to encourage her to continue and that she did.

"I love you, but right now, I just need time. Spend time with Ava whenever you'd like, but us, you and me, I need a few days to figure it out," she said before giving Damon a hug. He hugged her back and nodded.

"Take all the time you need, baby. I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. Just then, Isobel walked through the door like a mad woman. Damon took a protective stance in front of Elena and Isobel just growled at him.

"Now is NOT the time Damon. I have news," Isobel warned and gave Elena a quick look with mixed uneasy emotions. Elena sprang forward and asked her what it was.

"I'm not sure you're going to like this, and I'm not sure how you're going to take it," she rambled as Damon gave her a warning look and told her to spill the news before he got impatient. Isobel gulped and looked her daughter in the eyes, mentally embracing her.

"It's about Ava."

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><p>Feedback is love people! Tell me your likes and dislikes about this chapter! And thanks for the reviews, you're all beautifully intelligent people and I love you all! Don't forget the <em>review<em> button!


	3. Home

_**Story: **__Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter: **__Home Sweet Home_

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own The Vampire Diaries nor do I own the characters.__**  
><strong>_

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><p>"It's about Ava," Isobel said with a sympathetic look towards Elena. Elena's eyes grew wide in fear and curiosity as Damon stepped forward and glared at Isobel.<p>

"So spit it out, tell me what you know about my daughter," Damon impatiently demanded. Isobel continued to glare menacingly but let out a frustrated laugh.

"Your daughter you say? Where the hell have you been these past 4 years? You don't have the right to demand to know anything about my precious granddaughter. I was talking to my daughter so if you'd excuse me," Isobel spat before being thrown viciously at the floor with Damon grabbing her head, holding it against the fake white oak floor.

"Stop it, the both of you. Can't you ever be civil? God damn it, I want to know about Ava and all you guys ever do is fight, fight, fight!" Elena screeched. She pulled Damon off of her mother and helped Isobel off the floor. Elena gave Damon a stern look and he just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. She turned to look at Isobel and it was right where they left off the first time.

"As I was saying, I have news about Ava. I know what she is, or rather, I have a really great theory of what she is," Isobel said. Elena just looked at her with worry in her eyes and nodded for her to carry on.

"Do you remember when I told you I was going to be gone for a couple of weeks to research an old vampire? Turns out I didn't have to go very far but I did find out everything about him. Well, this is the one. This vampire, Florio, and his human wife Analia, had a baby. Her name was Anabeth, and she was just like Ava. She was incredibly smart for her age, like too smart that not even doctors could tell you why she was the way she was. She was just as fast, if not faster, than any vampire. Stronger than most vampires, probably except originals. And she could hear a thousand times better than any vampire, including an original. She didn't drink blood, she didn't have fangs, and she didn't get burnt in the sunlight. Though, when she reaches a certain age, she can compel people. Yet not only people, vampires too," Isobel said while looking back and forth from Damon to Elena's faces. The shock, worry, and concern from Elena's face masked by Damon's pride and satisfaction at the incredible news that his daughter was not only special to him because she was his daughter, but special because of what she is capable of.

"There's always a but with you, isn't there? We heard the good news now you have bad news, so spit it out," Elena said, growing incredibly impatient. Isobel glared at her as if to tell her to watch her tone because she was speaking to her mother, not some bitch.

"As I was saying, this girl had other abilities as well. They gradually got stronger and more noticeable, as well as easier to handle when she got a bit older. She had supernatural abilities to that similar to that of a witch. She could read minds, see auras around people's bodies, read into your deepest thoughts with the simplest touch, and manifest anything out of thin air," Isobel rambled and Elena gave her a worried look and Damon gripped her shoulder gently but reassuringly.

"How long did that little girl live? Was she immortal? What age did she reach to? Or was she human enough to live like I do?" Elena asked timidly, anxious to hear the answer but terrified to know to know the answer. Hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

"She stopped aging at 17 years old, but she didn't live long, you had to know that these were really bad times. People were out to get her, and one day they got her and they killed her," Isobel gulped as Elena let a tear slide down her eye, leaning into Damon for support.

"How exactly did they kill her? Did vervain work on her? Did stakes kill her?" Damon asked lightly, knowing Elena wasn't able to ask herself.

"Vervain has an effect on her but not as much as it does on you, just a tingle really. Slows down her reflexes for about a couple of seconds and she bounces right back. Stakes hurt, but they don't kill her. She has 3 chakras, one in her throat, one in her heart, and one in the small of her back. If you puncture those with a white oak stake, then she'll die," Isobel spoke lightly. After all, they were talking about possible ways to potentially kill her granddaughter.

"Just like an original, right? Except originals are in the heart but she had 3 different spots?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Isobel sighed. Elena looked at Damon with fear in her eyes and Damon just hugged her, because if anybody were to say reassuring things to her, you'd know it was a lie. Isobel gave them both her sympathies and let them be with each other, they needed each other now more than they ever have. But only after promising Elena that she'd be back tomorrow to see Ava.

"She's only supposed to be special because she's my baby, not because of this stuff. I wanted a normal life for her. I wanted her to grow up normal," Elena cried into Damon's chest. He sighed heavily before rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Elena, nothing about this is normal. She's the child of a doppelgänger and a vampire, constantly surrounded by them and family members of supernatural origins. What part of that did you think was normal?" Damon asked as Elena abruptly let go of him and wiped a tear from her face.

"Whatever Damon, I just wasn't expecting this, that's all," Elena sighed.

"Yeah, join the club, I seriously wasn't expecting this either you know. I didn't know vampires could have kids, then I find out I have one with my wife, then I find out that my daughter is more than just a vampire off spring," Damon rambled before looking Elena in the eye. She was smiling timidly and he cocked his head slightly to the side and give her a look as if to say 'what?'

"You said my wife," Elena smiled, answering his inner questionnaire. He smiled back and kissed the top of her head.

"You are my wife if I remember from 5 years ago," Damon smirked. Elena blushed and hugged him before walking over to her desk to grab her purse and jacket.

"What's that for?" Damon asked, confused because he though her shift ended at 4 and it was only 3:10. She pulled her pony tail put from inside her coat and tied the strap along her waist, smiling at him.

"I'm the boss, my café. I leave when I want. And besides, I really don't want to be here anymore, and Abby's got it covered for me. I was thinking of stopping by Stefan and Katherine's to talk about what Isobel said. I just really need Katherine now," she smiled sadly. He understood though.

"Can I stop by to see Ava tonight?" Damon asked. He looked at Elena with pleading eyes as she turned around and smiled shyly.

"Is that all you want to see tonight?" Elena asked with a blush on her face. It always amused Damon that no matter what or how much time happened to be in the way, he could always make Elena blush. He turned his charm on and swiftly walked over to her, grace with every step he took. Elena closed her eyes and leant against the door as he walked straight up and positioned himself right in front of her body. She took a deep breath and at last opened her eyes.

"Why? Is there anything else worth seeing?" he smirked as she growled softly at him and stuck her bottom lip out just enough to be considered a slight pout. He chuckled and brought his smooth fingers to her face, tracing her jaw line as gently and seductively as he could. He gained satisfaction when he saw that she was completely affected by his ministrations. He brought his lips to the outlet shell of her ear and spoke softly like the wind.

"I guess I could spare a couple of minutes for you," Damon purred as he brought his sweet pink lips for her earlobe and grazed his blunt teeth on it, pulling it down gently but seductively, making her shiver slightly. She put a hand up into his hair and tugged on it softly to retrieve his face from where it was so she could look at his features again. His cobalt blue eyes and raven black hair, his fair skin and his too-good-to-be-real eyebrows. His hands slid down from her waist to her hips and squeezed gently as she raked her hands down his torso. Elena smiled dazedly as Damon pressed his forehead against hers, she let out a small breath and Damon smiled back.

"Glad to know I still have this effect on you," he smirked before leaning over and kissing her cheek softly. Before she knew it, he was gone. 

* * *

><p>"But I don't want it!" Ava huffed and crossed her arms. Kol sighed as he shook his head and looked at Ava with pleading eyes.<p>

"C'mon kid, we need to get you dressed. I have a date tonight and I need some prepping time too you know!" Kol said as he let out a sigh. Ava shook her head and ran super speed into the her bedroom closet.

"So go get ready for your stupid girlfriend and leave me alone," Ava frowned and crossed her arms in the dark closet.

"Hey, mind your tone," Kol said, trying to enforce Elena's rules about being polite, without sounding like a total dick about it. He winced at how fatherly he sounded. He hated it. Ava stuck her head out the door and stuck her tongue out at him before he gave her a look and she came out of the closet, clothes already on her.

"Where did you get those?" Kol asked, his eyebrow raised. She looked down at herself and shrugged.

"I don't know, I was wishing for these clothes and all of a sudden I was wearing them. Hey Kol, maybe my wishes come true!" Ava beamed as he smirked.

"Maybe kiddo, you never know," Kol said before hearing the garage door open. He looked at Ava with questioning eyes before she smiled at him.

"Mommy's home! Can't you hear her?" Ava shrilled before running to the front door to greet her mom, Kol not too far behind her. Elena opened the door to discover a warm welcome from her daughter.

"Hi sweetheart," Elena smiled at her daughter. Ava smiled at her and began looking around her for any sign of another person she was hoping Elena brought home.

"What are you looking for?" Elena asked quietly, confusion in her voice. Ava turned to frown at her mother and sighed.

"I thought you would have brought Daddy home with you," Ava said in a low voice. Disappointment clearly evident in her voice. Elena's heart swelled as she bent down to Ava's height.

"Sweetheart, Daddy just came back. He and I need to discuss some things before he comes home forever. Like where we're going to live, a lot of stuff. But I'll tell you what, Daddy's coming over tonight to see you. Okay?" Elena bargained with her daughter. This lifted up the poor girl's spirit and made her grin.

"Okay Momma," she smiled before turning to face Kol.

"Do you still have to go out with your girlfriend? I want you to meet my daddy! We can have a tea party together!" Ava exclaimed as Kol shuddered.

"Sorry Kiddo, I have a date tonight. But today can be just about you and daddy and maybe mommy too," Kol smiled as Ava frowned.

"Okay," Ava said, pushing past him to run up the stairs and into her room at an inhuman pace. Elena sighed.

"Are you sure you must have a date tonight?" Elena asked.

"No, but I really want to. And besides, you know I really hate Damon. I can't stand him," Kol gave a look of disgust and Elena gave him a sharp glare.

"Listen, I don't care if you don't like him. I love him, he's my husband. You live under my roof. Ava wouldn't appreciate you talking like this about her father. Whatever, it doesn't matter. I just want you to have a good day today, okay?" Elena smiled before giving Kol a big hug. Kol chuckled and hugged her back.

"So, if Damon does move in here, does that mean I have to find another place?" Kol asked with a curious and worried expression.

"No way, you can stay however long you want. You've been here when he wasn't. If he moves in, He doesn't have a say in if you stay or go. It's my house, I'd never kick you out for something stupid like that. You're no threat to him and he's no threat to you," Elena explained before ruffling his hair.

"Thanks 'Lena, I really needed that," Kol sighed.

Elena walked into the kitchen and sighed at the huge clean spacious cuisine. She was so happy with Kol that she gave him a wide smile and he just shrugged. Oh of course. Leave it to Kol to not take any credit in the nice things he does for the people he cares about. No wonder Kol and Damon hated each other, they were exactly alike. She smiled at Kol and said her goodbyes.

"You'll fill me in on the details of your date, right?" Elena said, smirking straight at him while leading him to the door.

"I don't kiss and tell, Baby Mama," Kol sang. Elena shook her head and chuckled. Kol whipped his head up and glared at the little girl on the stairs.

"What was that you said?" Kol baited Ava.

"I said have fun with your friend," Ava glared at Kol.

"I plan to, I plan to have a lot of fun with her," Kol smirked.

"Whatever, I won't save you any pecans from my pie! And I'll leave my door shut all the way tonight so you can't come in," Ava stuck out her tongue and blurred up the stairs. Kol felt his heart ache slightly, not because she won't share her pecans but because he was leaving for a date when Ava wanted him to be with her today. He shook it off and walked out of the house without another word and closed the door.

Elena shook her head and walked up the stairs into her daughter's room, she was playing with her Polly Pocket sets and dolls with a concentrated look on her face. Ava looked up at her mom and quickly hid her face in her long raven black hair cascading down her shoulders.

"Sorry if I was being mean earlier, I know you don't like it when I don't use my manners," Ava apologized and slowed down her use of her dolls. Elena smiled at her daughter and shook her head.

"It's not me you need to apologize to sweetie it's Kol. Why were you being mean to him? He didn't mean to upset you sweetie, he just doesn't want to be home all the time and he wants to go out with his friend for dinner. You'll see Kol when he comes back sweetheart, okay?" Elena reassured her daughter but Ava instantly turned her back to her mother. Elena sighed and walked back out the door, shutting it behind her. Ava saw the door close and looked out the window; she could still hear Kol getting into his car. She looked down at Kol and he looked back up at her through the window. He smiled and waved up at her but she just turned away and went back to playing with her toys.

Elena went to the couch and pulled out her iPhone 4S. She told Siri to call Katherine. "_Why hello my dearest sister-in-law, or should I say, great, great, great, gr-_"

"Okay enough, I get it. Look, is Damon home?" She cringed when she said that, he should be here with her and consider that home, not at the boarding house.

"_Yeah, he's upstairs taking a shower in his room, why?_" Katherine asked.

"Ava wants to see him tonight; I was going to invite him over. I was hoping you and Stefan could come too?" Elena began biting and picked at her nails.

"_No can do, Stef and I have a hot date tonight. We're catching up on some much needed time to ourselves,_" Katherine purred.

"Okay Ew, gross. I seriously didn't need to know that, but thank you," Elena gagged.

"_I'll tell Damon to get his ass over there okay? Then you can leave me alone and not call again tonight unless something happens to my little angel,_" Katherine said, referring to Ava.

"Whatever, thanks. Come by the restaurant tomorrow, I'll have more stuff to tell you tomorrow, okay?" Elena said, grabbing the remote for the TV and taking a sip of her red wine.

"_Okay, I'll talk to you later. Damon's coming okay tootles!_" Katherine said.

"Wait! Katherine! Ugh!" Elena said before tossing her phone on the couch, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her phone almost instantly began ringing again and she didn't bother looking at the caller ID before she answered the call.

"Thanks for hanging up on me you jerk I needed to tell you something and you just hang up on me? I'm so lacing your drink with vervain tomorrow at the restaurant, so watch yourself," Elena glared at the phone. But then there was a manly chuckle and a brief pause before he continued.

"_Well, I'll be sure not to get any drinks tomorrow from you_," Damon chuckled.

"I'm sorry I thought you were Katherine, she just hung up on me. So rude, don't you think?" Elena babbled.

"_You've been drinking haven't you_," he said. Not even asked, he stated.

"Oh be quiet I'm only on my first glass, I'm just trying to relax and this is just the wine I made from Matt's vineyard one year," Elena defended.

"_Hey, I'm not judging. I've got a glass of bourbon in my hand now_," Damon smirked.

"Of course you do, you are Damon Salvatore," Elena smiled.

"_and you are Elena Salvatore,_" Damon replied cheeky.

"That I am. When will you be here?" Elena asked impatiently before gulping her last sip and turning the television off. Just then she heard the doorbell ring. "Hold on, there's someone at the door," she said to her phone. She opened the door to reveal a beautiful sight. Damon, wearing his black Armani jeans, dark blue John Varvatos dress shirt, black leather jacket, and black leather shoes. His raven black hair cut to his usual length and his blue eyes bringing out the features of his face, his hand clutching the phone next to his ear.

"I should be there now," Damon smirked as Elena smiled coyly at him.

"Daddy!" Ava squealed and ran at an inhuman speed into Damon's arms, almost knocking Damon over in the process. Damon chuckled and hugged Ava.

"Hey Princess, how are you doing?" he asked, a genuine smile creeping up on his face. She smiled brightly at him and began telling him all about her day with Kol and Kim, (her best friend who lives the closest house to hers.)

A while after Damon and Ava were engaged in a heated debate about whether Polly Pocket or Barbie was better, Elena walked into the room.

"What is going on here?" Elena smirked, leaning against the door frame. Ava pouted and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Daddy said that Barbie is better than Polly Pocket. That's not true! Barbie is too tall and all her friends look the same! I only like Barbie's house, plane, train, boat, and cars. That's it! Her boobies are too big and they don't fit her in her dress sometimes!" Ava exclaimed. Elena laughed as she turned her head to a very frustrated Damon.

"Yeah, but Polly is too short. And she doesn't have big houses or anything. And her clothes feel like clay," Damon retorted at his daughter. He glared playfully at her before Ava gave a loud hmph and uncrossed then crossed her arms again.

"Okay, children, apologize to each other for being so stubborn and then come downstairs to eat," Elena smiled as they both hesitated to apologize to each other. Like father like daughter she thought. Elena gave a stern look at her daughter and her husband before Ava uncrossed her arms and walked hesitantly into Damon's lap and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. She said sorry and kissed his cheek before Damon chuckled and wrapped his arms around her small body, giving her a kiss on her forehead and apologizing as well. Elena smiled at her family and remembered why she came up here in the first place.

"Okay, dinner time. Let's go," Elena said to them, clamping her hands together twice to grab their attention. Ava sat up and ran down the stairs, ignoring Elena's request that she be careful running in the house. Damon walked up to Elena and slid his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him. She smiled up at him and put her palms gently on his chest, moving her hands up and down at a slow pace.

"You know, I've been thinking," Elena started before Damon interrupted her.

"Oh that's never a good thing," Damon said. He laughed as she pouted and glared at him, hitting his arm as he howled with laughter.

"As I was saying. I think you should stay over tonight and we can talk. About anything really, I just don't want you to go," Elena sighed as Damon smirked and kissed her temple. He leaned down closely to her ear and whispered softly.

"You know, if you wanted to have sex with me, all you have to do is ask," Damon said, earning a shocked look from Elena's face. He smirked once more as did she and they both walked down the stairs to see their daughter at the kitchen table ready to eat. Elena brought out the spaghetti and meatballs she made for dinner and began pouring some of it into Ava's plate. Damon poured some for himself and Elena while she was helping Ava cut her spaghetti into smaller pieces. Elena put a bib around Ava because she eats spaghetti very messily and sat down at her chair and began eating.

After dinner, Damon was putting Ava to bed and Elena was washing and putting away the dishes. Not too long after Damon came down to see Elena wiping the counters down with disinfectant wipes. He shook his head at her and blurred behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. When she didn't jump from the contact he got a little confused.

"Why weren't you scared?" Damon asked. She smiled and turned around to face him.

"Because I'm used to it with Kol and Ava already. Sneaking up on me with inhuman speed, and besides, there's no one here but you and Ava," Elena said, a smile creeping up on her face. On Damon's as well.

"That food was delicious today, where did you learn to cook like that?" Damon asked. Elena smiled at his curiosity about her cooking. He'd always thought Elena couldn't cook at all. It was always Damon who cooked best. It seems as though now he has some competition.

"Well I went to university to learn how to manage my business and then I minored in culinary arts. It was fun, and it helped make meals fun with Ava. She used to be picky with what she eats until I took that. Now she'll eat anything," Elena smiled as Damon's smile faltered a bit.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you and our daughter. I'm sorry that you had to do all of this on your own. You shouldn't have had to do it on your own," Damon sighed. She smiled up at him lazily and kissed his cheek.

"Don't be sorry, just be happy you're here now and you get to watch Ava grow. You'll be there for her when she needs you most," Elena bargained.

"I'm moving in," Damon announced. Elena eyed him suspiciously and cocked her head to the side, her brow raised and arched.

"Are you now? Says who?" Elena retorted. He could be so arrogant and blunt sometimes, it was sexy but a smidge annoying.

"Well, it's either that or you move out and we get a house together. Either way, we're living together. I can't be a good father and a good husband if I'm off in a different house only visiting some days," Damon said.

"Damon, it's a lot to think about. I have Kol living in the basement," Elena sighed.

"I don't care if he sleeps on the floor of your room or in China, as long as we're together and you're all that I see when I wake up in the mornings," Damon pleaded.

"Okay, fine. We officially live together; can we please just not talk about this anymore? I just want to be with you, no interruptions," Elena frowned. Damon smirked at the frown on her face and told Elena to wait downstairs for him. Elena smiled at him and nodded.

Patiently, Elena waited downstairs on the couch for Damon. She watched TV for the 11 minutes he kept her waiting. When he finally came downstairs she smiled up at him and he grinned back. She turned off the TV and shifted her body on the couch.

"You know, it's rude to keep a woman waiting," Elena smirked as Damon chuckled. He grabbed her by the hand and hoisted her up onto her feet in no time. She looked dazed as she fought back the urge to touch his toned and muscle defined bicep. She looked up at him and blushed when she saw that he was indeed staring back at her. He smirked and took her by the arm like the 1800s gentlemen he is and led her back upstairs. When he led her to her big bedroom doors he opened both of them to show what took him so long.

A pair of movies on her bed, candles lighten all around the room, rose pedals paving way like the red carpet from the door to the bed and all over the bed. She was stunned when she saw this and Damon was nervous. He's never been one for romance; he just wants her to be more comfortable around him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and a grin on her lips.

"I take it that you like it? I know the rose pedals might be a little too much but I felt like the moment needed something. And I didn't bring food because we already ate. The candles smelt nice so I put them all around. The movies are for entertainment obviously but we don't have to watch it if you don't want to," Damon rambled before Elena embraced him. He returned the gesture before Elena reached up and kissed his cheek. He growled lowly as she began to turn away. Damon grabbed her by the arm and turned her towards him.

"You know, I've been home for at least 3 days. I haven't seen you in over 4 years, and I haven't kissed since. You're my wife, it should be easier to kiss you every day than this," he said, a slight frown on his face. Elena looked up with a calm and serious face before sliding her hands on the side of his face.

"I've waited Damon, I've been waiting for you this whole time," Elena's eyes danced as she spoke. Damon smiled lovingly at her before putting his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. His lips crashing down on hers gently but firmly and Elena immediately responded to his kiss. His hands sliding up and down her sides from her waist to her hips and back up. Her hands grabbing, teasing, pulling his hair at an effort filled attempt to get him as close as possible. He tilted his head to the side and she stepped closer towards his body. He was the flame that ignited her passion, the light to her darkness and vice versa.

"God, Damon," she moaned. The second the last word left Elena's lips she felt Damon's mouth crash down on hers. The hunger inside of him claimed her and he furiously fed at her lips as if he needed it to survive. Elena moaned against his mouth and reached up and tangled her fingers in his thick locks. She pulled him as close to her as she could as she felt the fire she had spoken of only moments before hit her veins in a rush of heat that burned her to her core.

Elena felt Damon's hand move from her face down her body and finally rest on her hips. He gripped her tightly as his mouth continued to caress hers and then slowly began to back her across the room. Elena stumbled slightly and felt Damon smile against her lips.

* * *

><p>It was quite beautiful out tonight, he was admiring the outside air and breeze when he realized it was probably time to start heading back inside. He parked his silver Audi in the garage and set the alarm on. He closed the garage door and proceeded to enter his basement apartment. He went into the room with the red door and found a blood bag of O negative in the big fridge. Walking to the kitchen to get a cup, he poured the blood bag into a cup and began drinking it. His back stood stiff as he felt the hairs on his neck stand up. He smirked and began stirring his blood, "Well hello there munchkin."<p>

"Hi, I heard you come inside," Ava yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes. He turned around, his eyes softened and he smiled at the sight in front of him. Ava stood with her blue My Little Pony pajamas. Her long sleeve shirt with a huge pony in the middle, her pajama pants too long for her legs reaching the tops of her feet, her hand dragging the teddy bear on the ground and her other hand rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her small teeth showing when she yawned and her black hair falling straight down her shoulders and her back. She was incredibly beautiful for a little girl her age.

"Still mad at me?" Kol asked. He leant against the counter top, arms crossed, sipping on his blood filled glass. She looked up at him and smiled slightly before shaking her head side to side. He smirked and put his glass down. He crouched to her level before he spoke again.

"Good, I don't like when my best friend is mad at me," he fake pouted and Ava giggled.

"You so silly," she grinned and wrapped her small arms around Kol's neck as he picked her up. He put his empty blood filled glass in the sink and rinsed it quickly. Ava rested her head on Kol's shoulder and her eyes began to feel heavy. She slowly began drifting back to sleep when he started walking towards his room. She often spent nights here with him, she didn't like being alone at night-time. She snuggled closer into his chest and drifted off to sleep when he began humming to her. He always liked humming her to sleep, it made him feel good. He sang and hummed Flightless Bird by Iron and Wine to her tonight. He sat her down on his bed and tucked her into the sheets. Kol didn't want to sleep in his real clothing so he went to his dresser and grabbed some pajama bottoms. He changed in the bathroom and when he came out, Ava was still sound asleep on his bed snuggling into her teddy bear. He smiled and cuddled up behind Ava before kissing her forehead and saying goodnight to her. The last thing he heard was the sweet sound of Ava's quiet breathing. 

* * *

><p>Elena woke up before Damon. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself looking at her sleeping husband and smiled at him. His arm under his head, his other on his stomach. The sheet stopping just shy of his v shape abs. His hair all messy from sleep and various other activities. She smirked and walked into the hallway down to her daughter's room to see that her daughter wasn't in her room. Knowing where she'd be, she walked into Kol's basement apartment and saw the two of them snuggled together in Kol's bed and blankets.<p>

Elena made her way into the kitchen to make breakfast when she smelt that someone had already made it. French Toast to be exact. When she looked around she saw that there were 5 people sitting at her kitchen table, all of them staring at each other with menacing glares.

"He hasn't done anything to you yet, Damon. Stop acting like a jerk," yelled one voice.

"Stay out of this, Barbie. I was talking to him!" Damon seethed. Elena looked at Damon with disbelief that he would do this and disrespect people in her own house. She just gaped at him as the fighting continued.

"Damon, please. Just stop the fighting; it's not helping you at all. He's been here when you haven't and has protected your family more than you think," Stefan spoke calmly.

"Are you kidding? Do you not remember what he did to us? He tried to kill us, kill Elena! Doesn't that mean anything? I'm so not just going to let this go!" Damon splurged.

"Damon, I will have you know that I could hold you off and do my nails at the same time, please just stop. You're embarrassing yourself," Katherine said. Damon shot her a death glare and returned it back to his main target.

"I am of no threat to you, Damon. Really, I have grown to fancy your little family," He said. Just as Damon was about to retaliate Elena decided that she had enough of this and stepped in.

"Enough! I'm sick of this! You're bickering like children! You're long time adults for Christ's sake! My daughter acts more mature than you people. Do I need to baby you guys and teach you guys proper manners? Damon, you need to accept that people have changed since you left! And the rest of you need to be patient with him, he hasn't been here for the four years we have, he still has his old mentality that you guys are the bad guys. Now sit down and have a civil breakfast or I will take Ava to the café without you guys, got it?" Elena demanded. Everyone sat down and nodded at Elena. Everyone but Damon, he stood and shook his head, walking out into the living room to the stairwell and up to the bedroom. Elena let out a frustrated breath and looked at everyone apologetically.

"I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean to offend anyone or upset anyone I just want you guys to eat peacefully. I'm going to get ready for work and then join you guys," Elena said before disappearing up the stairs.

"I pity that poor girl for having to spend her life with this fool. He really needs to see things in a different perspective. But then again Damon has always had a one track mind," Klaus spoke, earning a glare from Stefan and a smirk from Katherine.

"Oh c'mon Klaus, just drop it. Elena's right, we do bicker like children," Stefan stated.

"Oh please, I grew up in the 1400's, I, have class," Katherine smirked and sipped her orange juice.

Meanwhile Elena was upstairs trying to calm Damon down. She entered the bedroom and saw him outside on the balcony. His hands gripping the railing and his head looking out into the clouds. She opened the door swiftly and walked towards him.

"Why would let him into your house? Aren't you a bit scared that he'll turn on you and Ava?" Damon asked. Elena sighed and stood beside him staring out into the lake in front of them.

"They won't hurt us Damon, especially not Klaus. I've spent 4 years with him and watching him. I know anything can happen but none of us will let anything happen to Ava, you know that," Elena said. She leaned over and hugged him. He was reluctant but gave in and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

"It's not just Ava, it's you that I'm worried about too," Damon spoke quietly. Elena found comfort in his words and gave his hand a tight squeeze.

"I know baby, I know," Elena smiled. "But for now I just need you to be civil with everyone. Especially Klaus, please just try okay. I love you," she said, giving Damon a kiss before venturing off to get ready for work. Damon sighed and made his way Val downstairs, surprising everyone with his presence. Stefan gave him a curt nod and Katherine smirked. Caroline giving Damon a pleased smile and Klaus gave no reaction. He thought he'd skip breakfast because of his lack of hunger so he thought he'd just get his daughter from downstairs.

He wasn't used to seeing his daughter sleep in Kol's bed with him. It made him feel oddly jealous because that was HIS daughter. She shouldn't be sleeping with ANY boy except for her father if she had some sort of nightmare or something.

"It's okay Daddy, it's just Kol," Ava said. He chuckled as he remembered his daughter could read his mind, he thought he could use this to his advantage and began to think more instead of speak so that he wouldn't wake Kol but he could talk to his daughter. Hi baby girl, want to come upstairs and have breakfast? I have surprises for you!

Ava rose from the bed quietly not to wake Kol and ran up the stairs at an inhuman pace, not even Damon saw her blur up the stairs. He chuckled and walked up the staircase to find his daughter socializing with her family and eating breakfast. If he didn't hate them so much he would have actually smiled and joined them for it, but since he did he decided against it and went right back upstairs to his wife.

Ava stuffed her face with the muffin and milk that was arranged for her for breakfast. She had to admit, she was a little disappointed at the lack of art work her mother usually made her breakfasts look like but she didn't mind because her favorite people in her life were in her house at this moment. She listened to the bickering going on at the table between her Aunt Katherine and her Aunt Caroline before channeling into the thoughts of Caroline. She was having a bad day this morning because one of her purses has been misplaced and no one can find it. Ava thought that she should compliment her aunt to possibly make her day better.

"Aunt Caroline, I like your hair today. It's very nice and curly, where are you going?" Ava asked cutely with a huge grin on her face. This made the bickering between her favorite Aunts stop, and Caroline look at her with awe.

"Thank you sweetie, but I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted a distraction today because I've been thinking too much. How are you? What do you have planned today?" Caroline smiled at her niece. Ava pondered obviously for a minute before grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm going to make Kol take me to the movies! Kim told me that she went with her daddy and it was really fun so I want to go too!" Ava said. Klaus smirked at the little girl and spoke.

"You're going to make Kol take you?" Klaus pressed, making Ava gape.

"Yeah, he will take me! It will be fun and he likes to have fun too, but sometimes he's really grumpy and doesn't want to have fun. Silly boy, doesn't he know that fun is good when you're grumpy? But Shhhhh, he's going to wake up soon and I want to tell him," Ava squealed causing everyone to chuckle. Stefan smiled at his niece and walked over to her side to grab her plate and cup that were now free of food contents.

"You don't want me to take you? I have nothing to do today, maybe Kol does," Stefan suggested. Ava shook her head and responded politely.

"Are you jealous Uncle Steffy? Huh? Are you?" She pressed, with a smirk they all knew too well, a smirk passed down to her by her father. Katherine laughed as Stefan gave Ava an innocent look.

"No, I'm not jealous! I just wanted to take you to the movies, I missed you kiddo," Stefan smiled. Ava got down from her seat and walked over to Stefan, raising her arms so that he would pick her up. He did so and she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the biggest kiss on the cheek before nuzzling into his side and smiling. Stefan's heart melted as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. I love you kiddo, he thought, knowing what he knew about her mind reading abilities. She looked up at him and locked her eyes in his.

"I love you too Uncle Steffy! Don't be jealous of Kol okay, I love you all the same!" She smiled before jumping off her uncle and going to her room.

"That was so cute!" Caroline noted with a gleam in her eyes. Katherine rolled her eyes and began cleaning the tables of the dishes and crumbs left from breakfast.

Elena emerged from the bathroom with her hair and makeup done with a towel around her body. She looked over to the bed where she had laid her clothes out and saw Damon sitting at the edge of the bed with a huge smirk. She instantly rolled her eyes and spoke.

"No. We can't do it. I need to get dressed and go to work because I slept in more than I should have and I'm going to be late," she said. Walking over to the bed and grabbing her clothes and dashing to the bathroom, a lame attempt to get away from her husband's lustful attempts to get her in bed. Damon laughed and lay back on the bed.

"Oh c'mon, you know you want to," he smirked at the door. She opened the bathroom door just enough to stick her head and responded.

"I do, but I can't. So no," Elena smirked and closed the door. Not even a couple of minutes later she came out of the bathroom with her beautiful work clothes on and her hair ever so flawless. She had a pair of nice dark blue skinny jeans on with her white thin-material long sleeve sweater and her brown knee-high boots. Damon smiled at her as she returned the smile. She walked over to her dresser and pulled a pair of diamond stud earrings out and put them into her ears.

Damon loved those earrings; he bought them for her on her 17th birthday. They held a lot of value to him, and to see her wear it every day made his heart swell. He reached up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her breath to hitch slightly. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and looked on into the mirror in front of them.

"I've missed you," he said, kissing her cheek before she turned around in his embrace. His arms still wrapped around her body, but her hands resting flat on his chest.

"I've missed you too; it feels nice having you home again. After work I'll come home and maybe the three of us could do something, have dinner and watch a movie, go out to the park, something," Elena smiled. Her arms now wound up resting on his shoulders and her hands deep into his hair, massaging his scalp.

"That sounds nice; I won't be home today though. I'll be home around the time you get home, I have a council meeting today," Damon said. She raised her brow at him.

"Council meeting? You've barely been back a week and you're back on the council?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, I'm back on the council because Liz and Carol think it's a good idea and they need to discuss some things. Though there isn't any suspicious vampire activity, they need me to attend their monthly meeting to get back into things just like last time." Elena looked up as he spoke and thoughts mashed together in her head.

"Council meetings are only half hour to an hour tops, why would you be gone the whole day? I'm sure that Ava would love to be with you," she said, noticing an emotion behind his eyes that she couldn't put a name to. He sighed and untangled himself from her, going over to sit on the bed.

"I'm not used to kids, Elena. I don't know how to be a parent to Ava, I'm impulsive and I-" he said before Elena cut him off by putting a hand on his shoulder. She kissed his forehead and looked at him with sympathy in her eyes.

"Honey, you'll be a great dad. You're so delicate with me, and you love yourself, why wouldn't you think you could handle taking care of our baby? She's fine, she doesn't need you to watch her like a hawk and play with her all the time. She's very independent and knowing that you're just in the same house as her would be good enough. You're her daddy, Damon. You love her, and she loves you. Just don't think about it, you don't need to concentrate when you're with her, it should just come naturally," Elena said softly. She placed a kiss to his forehead and went into the closet of their room to grab a belt for her jeans and then she closed the door.

"I'll be home after the council meeting, I might go to the Grill with Ric after though, catch up on some great bromance time," Damon joked as Elena smiled.

"Ric has a family now Damon, you know that. But he ends work around 2 and he picks up his daughter around 3:30 so I guess you have some time to hang out. Kol is going to baby sit Ava today, but if you could just hurry after you finish with Ric to come home and give Kol a break, that would be great," Elena said. She walked over to the door and grabbed her brown leather jacket and Damon got up to follow her.

"You have a great day today, be home on time to be with Ava, and start thinking of something the three of us to do after I finish work. I have to go now, be nice to Klaus and them if they're still here," she rambled as she grabbed the keys from the key hanger beside the garage door. She opened the door and he followed her to the garage and watched her as she got into her car. She rolled down the window as she started the car.

"Bye baby, I love you. Be good with Ava and be nice to Kol and everyone else," she said sternly, he chuckled and bent his head down. She leaned her head out the window and kissed his lips chastely but sweetly before pulling away. He grinned at her and stepped back from the car.

"Don't worry about me, everything will be fine. I love you too," Damon smiled genuinely. She smiled back before looking into her rear view mirror and backing out of the garage and driveway with ease. She blew a kiss at him through the windshield and drove off down the street, Damon smiling at the back of the car. He closed the garage and walked back into the house. Only to be startled by his daughter standing in front of him with tears in her eyes. Damon was beyond startled picked her up, wrapping her in a nice father-daughter embrace. He stroked her beautiful long black hair and shuddered as he felt tears escape from her soft cobalt blue eyes. He walked her over to the kitchen and placed her on top of the counter top. He looked her in the eyes and brushed her hair out of her face before speaking softly.

"Why are you crying, sweetheart?" he said, looking down at his mirror image. She frowned and clutched her teddy bear to her chest.

"Mommy left, and she didn't say bye," she said in a soft voice. Damon's heart melted at his daughter's face. Her pale skin was developing rosy cheeks and watery eyes because she was upset that her mother didn't say goodbye to her.

"She'll be home soon, you don't have to cry. She was in a rush to leave this morning and it probably just slipped her mind. If it makes you feel better, I'll be home with you. I'll make you lunch and we'll go to the park for a little while, how does that sound?" he said sweetly. Ava smiled up at her dad and wiped her eyes free of the tears before nodding her head. Damon let out a huge breath or relief before kissing her forehead and setting her down on the ground.

_That went better than I thought it would_, he thought. Ava turned around and giggled, "Daddy, can you come with me and Kol to the movies tonight?" she asked. He sighed and shook his head at her.

"No baby, I can't. I have to go out soon for, work," he thought the best way to describe his council meeting, "and plus, you, mommy, and I are going out later. It'll be just us," he said.

"Can Kol come?" she pouted. Damon thought her pouting was adorable; it reminded him of when Elena pouted, only with his face on it. How could he say no to that? No matter how much he disliked Kol, he loved his daughter so much more.

"Fine, yes, he can come," Damon said. Ava cocked her head to side in confusion.

"Daddy, why don't you like Kol?" She asked politely, her hands behind her back and her face unsure of what his answer would be. He scratched his head and bent down to her level, looking her in the eyes.

"Baby, before you were born, Kol and I didn't get along. I haven't been around much to be friends with him like you have so we're not friends. But that doesn't mean you can't be friends with him, he lives in our house and I'm okay with that. Is that a good enough answer?" He asked, trying to be delicate because this was a child he was talking to. Ava smiled at him and nodded before answering him.

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to know why because I heard it in your head that you didn't like him," she said with a toothy grin.

Not long after, Damon left Ava with Kol while he went to his council meeting. It was long, boring, and non-educational, but he knew it was mandatory if he wanted to get back on the council to help out and protect his family, along with Mystic Falls. Ric couldn't make it because he had marking to do at the school so Damon thought he would just go one of the colleges not far from town and try to read up on folklore about his daughter's species and more about her mind reading. He shook his head at his thoughts, his daughter was his daughter. Not a specific kind of species. She's not some science experiment for heaven's sake.

He found himself in the library of the University and found some interesting books about the girl who was just like Ava that Isobel told them about, and kept searching. An hour of speed reading, analyzing and cross-examining text books, he found something of great use to his problem. In an old leather-bound book, it said this;

_The one, whose mind is being read,_

_Should keep vervain beside their bed,_

_For every day and every night, _

_There comes a creature compelled to bite,_

_A drink a day of vervain,_

_Mixed with 3 quarts wolf's bane,_

_To keep you safe and keep you sound,_

_To keep from influence of creature's bound._

Then there was some old Latin words that followed shortly after, but Damon's mind was completely baffled. He didn't understand what all of this meant, and there were only two people he could call. Shortly after he asked for help, his mother-in-law, or should you _monster-in-law,_ came through the door.

"Isobel," Damon greeted. She nodded curtly before grabbing a seat next to Damon and the books.

"What do you need my help for?" She asked. Damon passed on the book to her and she read the same words he had just finished reading, putting the book down she began thinking in her head before speaking again to Damon.

"This is a grimoire, and not just any grimoire, it's one that has been translated mostly into English so that not only witches could read it and access it. It's for the convenience of us all. This book tells you how to keep Ava's kind from reading your mind and influencing your thoughts," She explained thoroughly as Damon nodded in curiosity. She wrote down some things before explaining it more in-depth to her son-in-law.

"You need to have vervain in you. You'll need to drink it every day and so that she can't compel you or influence your thoughts. But, because she's as strong as an Original, to keep her from reading your mind you'll need to also have 3 quarts of wolf's bane in your system everyday as well. Her mind power is that strong that in order for you to keep your mind secure from her you'll need to mix them together in any kind of liquid and consume it. Every 24 hours it will run out and you'll need to re supply your body with it once again."

"So I need to drink a cup of disgusting wolf's bane and vervain together every day?" Damon shuddered. Isobel nodded.

"Yes, but you also need to keep in mind that only vampires are required to just drink that to release themselves of her mind control and go about their day. Humans have it better off than we do. Though the vervain they wear, drink, or eat, stop her from influencing thoughts and compulsion, they have to give Ava permission to access their thoughts, just like entering a house. Although, once they've been invited into one's mind, they can come and go when they please. That's when humans need to start drinking wolf's bane to keep them out. "

"So Elena would have to drink what I drink if she allows her daughter to read her thoughts? Even if it's just one time?" Damon scoffed.

"She would have to simply do what you do on a regular basis, but that's only if she allows Ava to read her thoughts. Which she shouldn't, but if she does then that is the alternative. They've got it easier than we do, Damon," Isobel laughed. Damon nodded and thanked Isobel for her help before cleaning up the books and everything off the table. Isobel handed him a paper with the drink recipe and was on her way when Damon stopped to call Elena from work.

"_Hello?"_ She said in a sweet voice, and then there was a clanging of pots and pans in the background and voices laughing. Damon had to pull the phone away from his ear before responding.

"Hi, I was at LesterVille College studying because I had some free time on my hands, but I wanted to call to tell you I'm on my way home. You, Kol, Ava, and I are going to the movies tonight," he said. Elena chuckled softly before he heard the noise disappear, thinking that maybe she went to her office for some quiet.

"_That sounds lovely Damon, really, thank you. It means a lot that you're including Kol in our plans. Ava really enjoys his company and I know it'll make Kol feel like he's a part of something instead of always being the outcast,"_ Elena said softly, making Damon smiled. He hopped into his car and revved the engine, getting out of the parking lot while talking on the phone with his wife.

"Anything for you, Wife," he chortled, "and really, it was Ava who asked. I reluctantly said yes," he said, trying to be modest.

"_Regardless, you still said yes. You've made your family very happy, Salvatore. I should really get back to work, but text me when you get home so I know you got home safe. Then relieve Kol of babysitting duty and tell him to come by the Café because I have something for him to do." _Elena said.

"I will, have fun at work, boss lady," Damon laughed, he hear Elena laugh on the other end before hearing the noise of her work again, assuming she stepped back into the café and out of her office.

"_Bye Damon,"_she said. Damon heard a click at the end and hung up the phone, tossing it into the passenger seat as he raced on home to his daughter. 

* * *

><p>Elena held her beautifully sleeping daughter in her arms as they emerged from car parked in the driveway, who would have thought that she would have fallen asleep while watching the movie she picked out and everyone else had to suffer through. Although it was worth it, Damon spent quality time with his wife and daughter, Ava had her Daddy and best friend together even though they didn't like each other, Kol felt included in a group outing, and Elena was happy that everyone was getting along and having a great evening.<p>

Elena want upstairs to change her daughter into her pajamas, her blue Polly Pocket pajamas that costed Elena a fortune. Just as she was about to turn out the light and close the door, Ava poked her head out from the blankets and called out for her mom.

"Yeah baby?" Elena asked softly, trying to lure her daughter to sleep with her voice.

"Can you get Kol? I want him to tuck me in," Ava pouted. Elena smiled and nodded, walking calmly downstairs to where Damon and Kol were sitting on the couch, drinking bourbon together.

"Kol, would you mind tucking Ava into bed? She's insisting," Elena chuckled. Kol's eyes bled happiness and he nodded, walking up the stairs to Ava's bedroom. Damon watching after him like a hawk. Elena rolled her eyes and snuggled into her husband's side.

"Why were you at the college today?" She asked quietly. Damon stroked her hair thinking of an answer.

"I was there with Isobel today, researching about the little girl who was just like Ava that she told us about. Ava can read people's minds, and compel vampires and humans, just like originals. She can even influence dreams and thoughts," Damon said. Elena nodded for him to continue.

"The only way for vampires to keep Ava from reading their thoughts would be to drink a cup filled with vervain and three quarts of wolf's bane. The vervain keeps her from compelling and influencing thoughts, but the wolf's bane and vervain together keep her from that and reading a vampire's mind," he said. Elena pulled back a bit to look him in the eye.

"What about a human's mind?"

"The vervain you wear, eat, or drink, keeps her from compelling you or influencing your thoughts too just like any vampire. But she can't read your mind without you granting her permission to do so, just like inviting vampires into your house. Although, just like inviting them into your house, once you've granted permission they are free to access your thoughts whenever they'd like. That's when you'll need to drink the vervain and wolf's bane just like a vampire would," He explained just like Isobel did. He basically regurgitated what Isobel had told him earlier in the day. Elena nodded and snuggled back into his arms.

"I'm just glad to be learning more about my daughter. I want to learn a lot more, but I'm okay with learning at slow paces," Elena smiled. Damon nodded and kissed her forehead. He heard Kol snoring upstairs softly so he assumed he'd fallen asleep on the rocking chair in Ava's room, and as much as he'd hate to admit it, he was glad that Kol was there to watch over Ava.

Just as Elena and Damon were about to go to their room and get into bed, Elena's cellphone rang. Elena rolled her eyes and Damon flashed over to her phone and looked at the caller ID.

_Stefan _

He picked it up with his smug voice and smirk on his face. "Elena's phone," he said.

"_Damon, I need you over at the boarding house quickly,_" Stefan panted. Damon's smug expression turned into concern and Elena's face stared intently at his face.

"Why? What's going on?" Damon asked.

"_It's him_," he said, _"I just saw him. He tried to stake Katherine, and now he's gone,_" Stefan panicked. Damon's mind was going ballistic with raging thoughts in his mind; he could barely decipher what Stefan had just said before Elena's front door sprang wide open. Revealing a smirking man who Damon thought he'd never see in his life, a man he'd hoped he'd never see again; a man with wild green eyes and grayish dirty blond hair, tall and sturdy looking. Damon gulped as he dropped the phone and held tightly onto Elena's wrist as she cowered behind Damon's body.

"Nice to see you again, Damon," he chuckled darkly. 

* * *

><p><em>Big thank you to all of you who reviewed my last chapter, and a small thank you to the silent readers who've read and stuck with me through the story. Feedback is love people! Tell me your dislikes, what you liked, what could be improved, and who you think is at the door. Anything really, just know that I love you all and am most grateful for your continued support and reviews!<em>


	4. Reassurance

_**Story: **Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter: **Reassurance  
><em>

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters, but I damn wish i did  
><em>

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><p>"But, you were supposed to be-, but," Damon spluttered before the man at the door gave a condescending chuckle. Damon gulped before his eyes turned towards Elena, cowering behind him. She looked at him with uncertain eyes as he held her hand from behind him. Damon cleared his throat before speaking again.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Damon said; his cold attitude and icy blue eyes ready for anything.

"Oh Damon, is that any way to treat a relative?"

"Answer the question or so help me God I'll-" Damon said before being cut off again from the man in his front.

"You'll what? You'll kill me? I'd like to see you try, son," he said with fierce defense. The cocky man with grey hair standing in Elena's doorway was now replacing his cocky attitude with a cold one, matching Damon's.

Damon stared the man in front of him with utter coolness and confusion, "What are you doing here, _father_? I thought you were dead," he seethed. In the doorway stood the body of a man he last saw in 1864, his father. Perceived to have died the night Stefan went to see him, killing him and completing the transition with his blood. Giuseppe walked on over to the door before being sprung back by the force field of the house. It all made sense now, he was a vampire.

"Ah, I must be invited in. Damn rules of vampirism," Giuseppe smirked. Damon's expression never changed, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was like he was looking at a ghost. Elena stepped over to the side in fierce loyalty to her husband and narrowed her brown eyes in his direction.

"What do you want," Elena fumed. Giuseppe laughed at the human before turning his eyes to his eldest son.

"For a second, you had me fooled that she was Katherine."

"Well she's not Katherine. Heart beat and all," Damon said sarcastically, rolling his icy eyes. Giuseppe's face hardened in the beat of a second.

"I thought Katherine would have died, burned with all the other vampires, though I saw her earlier in my house with Stefan," he said with much distaste. Elena glared at him at the mere mention of her doppelganger, her _sister._

"And we thought you were dead, killed by dearest Stefan and all. Guess things don't always work out as planned," Elena smirked furiously. Giuseppe's eyes narrowed at Elena and scoffed.

"Excuse me, human, but I was talking to my son. You weren't asked for your two cents," he seethed, his eyes spelling anger and the intruder of his conversation with his son. Damon's hands balled into fists at his father's poor manners to his wife and stepped closer to him.

"You watch your tone while speaking to my wife," Damon snarled. Giuseppe angrily looked up into his son's eyes and raged.

"You watch your tone while you speak to me, boy."

"What is it? What do you want? Why are you here, father? You've been thought to be dead since 1864, why come back now?" Damon said; his voice tired. There was always tension between the two of them, even before Damon was turned. His father hated him, always had. He chose Stefan over him because he always knew responsibility, _ha, go figure._ Damon hated his father back though, it was no surprise. His father pulled the trigger on him, Giuseppe killed him first.

Damon raged when his father didn't answer him and stepped up right in front of him, "Answer me God damn it or I will sure as hell stake you myself," he said angrily. His father rolled his eyes at Damon's theatrics, in no mood for Damon's games. He laughed as his son was fuming before his eyes, worked up over nothing. Damon had always been calm, even when his father was giving him a hard time. He always bottled things inside himself; Giuseppe guessed that since his emotions were amplified, that he would now be more impulsive and enraging.

"I'm just passing through Mystic Falls, missed my own home. I've been in Europe these past years, travelling from country to country. I thought my house would have been destroyed by now but it wasn't. To my surprise, I didn't have to be invited in. Although, you should have seen the shock on my face when I realized that it did have inhabitants; ones I thought I had killed. I tried to end what I had started by killing the wench that had strung you both along like puppets, but I was surprisingly thrown against a wall by my youngest son. Bringing back old memories of when my dearest Stefan had killed me the first time," Giuseppe spoke, his voice surprisingly calm.

Damon glared at his father, of course he's calm, and its Stefan after all. Though, if it was Damon he'd be enraged. Damon glared expectantly waiting for his father to continue his speech before Giuseppe continued.

"Anyway, I realized I wasn't a match for the two of them without the element of surprise so I began walking around town before I noticed a house up here on the outskirts of town. Deep into the woods, just like the boarding house. The closer I came the more I heard your voice, didn't surprise me though. If one of my sons were alive, there was no doubt that the other one was too. Then, well, here I am," Giuseppe spoke. Damon not buying anything that he said stared him down with his piercing blue eyes and tapped his foot on the ground.

"So? What is it you want? Surely you don't want a reunion. What was it you said that I was, a disappointment?" Damon said, his voice condescending. Giuseppe growled at his son's behavior and raised his finger in the air, but before he could speak Elena came out and said it.

"I'm not buying it. What do you want? We're not inviting you in so if that's what you're waiting for then you can freeze your ass outside all night. Though something tells me you wouldn't mind that, your hearts already as cold as the fall air," she said. Damon felt his heart constrict with pride at her words. Katherine had sucked up to Giuseppe when she'd met him and all throughout knowing him, even if it was for survival. Stefan praised his man's feet, and everyone in the town and the council had treated him with the utmost respect. Damon was the only one who spoke out against Giuseppe, challenging him and rebelling against him every chance he could. Yet here she was, meeting her father-in-law for the first time, and already challenging him.

Giuseppe wasn't pleased though, he was always used to people singing his praises. He had gotten used to Damon's attitude, but for someone else to treat him the way she treated him, it made him angry. He gritted his teeth at her before speaking, "Oh, the perfect couple. You both have no manners what so ever. No wonder she stooped so low as to go for you Damon," he said scornfully. Damon had had enough of this bicker and decided that he'd end it once and for all.

"Get off of my property, Father. You're not welcome here, ever. Go back to where you came from, and never come back. I don't know what you're here for because you've been avoiding the question, but I don't care. You're not welcome here, and you're not to go near my family. We've more of us than you think, and we're stronger. If you thought you could kill us without remorse even though we were family, _blood,_ you don't want to know what we could do to you," Damon said disdainfully. Elena had shivers running down her spine at the fierce way her husband spoke to his father about protecting his family; it was both comforting yet nerve-racking.

Giuseppe raised his eyes to the stairwell as he saw a little girl walk down them. She had long jet black hair, a pale complexion, and the same piercing blue eyes as his son. His heart softened at the mere sight of her and his eyes that once held such anger now held confusion. Damon's eyes followed his and saw Ava standing at the bottom of the stairs with her teddy bear in her arms, looking very tired. Elena looked behind her because that's where everyone's eyes had seemed to be pointing and saw her daughter standing there.

Ava's eyes had roamed the parts of the main floor that she could see while walking down the stairs, her vision still blurred from sleep. She had thought of asking Kol to get her some milk but he was sound asleep beside her that she didn't want to wake him. She had snuck out of Kol's arms and grabbed her Teddy she had dropped on the floor accidently and descended down the stairs. When she got up, she had heard voices speaking downstairs but she was too tired to piece whose voice belonged to whom or what they were saying.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs surveying the living room to see if her parents were there, but they weren't. Ava had only taken two steps forward to get to the fridge in the kitchen when she felt the intense feeling of eyes burning holes into her back. Using her supernatural speed; she'd turned around quickly and saw her parents and an older man standing in the doorway. They looked at her, and she just stared right back at them. Unfazed that they were looking at her, a quality she'd acquired from her father.

Damon looked his little girl and smiled at her. Even though the scene in front of him had him boiling with rage, he didn't want his daughter to feel the way he was. She was too innocent for anger. Though, Ava mistook his smile for an invitation to stand by him. She walked over to him and Damon started getting alarmed, not wanting his precious daughter anywhere near his father. He met her half way and picked her up into his arms. He kissed her forehead as she snuggled into his chest, her eyes flickering with sleep.

"What are you doing down here, princess?" Damon said softly. Giuseppe saw the scene unravel in front of him before the idea clicked into his mind, the girl was his daughter. Though, he pushed the idea aside. Vampires couldn't procreate, not even Damon.

Ava smiled up at her dad, "I'm thirsty, I was going to ask Kol to get something to drink for me but he was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up," she said softly before yawning, sleep almost taking over her from being in her father's soft arms. Elena smiled at her family and put a hand to her chest, before realizing the reason she was still standing at the door. She looked over at Giuseppe and growled deep within her as he was watching Damon and his daughter interact.

Damon heard Ava's heartbeat slow into an easy rhythm and came to the conclusion that she was sleeping. He smoothed the hair on her forehead off her face and kissed it before turning slightly so he could face his father directly.

"I see you and the human have made a child," his father observed. Damon nodded before hearing more footsteps come down the stairs quickly, he turned his head to the stairwell and there stood Kol, wide eyed.

"I'm sorry, I was sleeping and I hadn't even noticed that she had gone. I'll take her back upstairs," Kol offered to Damon, before looking over at Giuseppe in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at the man, not hearing a heartbeat from him. Elena gave Kol a stern look and tilt of the head to behave himself while Ava was around and he rolled his eyes slightly.

He took a sleeping Ava from Damon's grasp and into the kitchen to grab a water bottle for Ava just in case she wakes up thirsty again. Instead of going upstairs this time though, he brought Ava down to the basement and into his room to sleep. His bed was much more spacious than her single bed so they could both be comfortable downstairs. Not to mention his clothes were downstairs, so he could slip into comfortable pajamas and sleep a little more leisurely.

Damon watched Kol take Ava down the stairs before pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. His father wasn't supposed to see his daughter; he would just be more annoying this way. "I have a granddaughter?" Giuseppe said softly, his demeanor getting softer. Damon's eyes snapped to his father's as he blurred up to him, pinning him to the wall outside of the house. Damon's hand went around Giuseppe's neck and his eyes started darkening, on the breaking point of vamping out.

"No, you don't. You don't get to have a granddaughter. Hell, you don't even get have a son, or sons, however you want to put it. We are not your family. We may be blood but that's not what makes a family. A family is of people who love each other, support each other, protect each other, and respect each other. You've never done a shred of those things my entire life, you're not about to start now. You got that? You stay away from Stefan and Katherine, and you stay the hell away from me and my family. Do you understand? I'll rip you to shreds, old man, don't push me," Damon boiled in anger and protectiveness over his daughter and his family. Giuseppe's eyes went wide as can be with the abrupt force of Damon slamming him against the wall and the weight of his words.

He shrugged Damon off of his body and smoothed out his suit coat, "Until next time, Damon," he said before blurring out of sight. Damon huffed in frustration and looked over to his wife standing in the doorway, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Damon blurred in front of her and pulled her into a small embrace. His arms wrapping around her waist and her head leaning on his shoulder, this hug was loving and everything that a hug between a husband and wife should be. His arms like gates, closing in and protecting her from the world.

"What's wrong?" Damon said softly, smoothing his hand through her long silky hair and placing a gentle kiss at the top of her head. She shook her head and pulled back slightly to look up and him in his comforting blue orbs. She sighed as he brought his hand up to her face and pushed her hair back behind her ear, listening intently for her to answer him. She stared at his face, his blue eyes encouraging her to speak.

"There's nothing wrong, Damon. I'm really happy about the way you defended your family, your protectiveness is overwhelming. I just, I'm worried about Ava. What if he comes back and tries to hurt her? I can handle myself, I know how to defend myself against vampires, and you know that. I've gone through training and everything. But Ava's just a baby, Damon. She doesn't know how to defend herself against anyone, let alone a vampire," Elena rambled. Thinking of her daughter's safety was mother's instinct, no matter what. Damon shushed her and kissed her forehead before speaking.

"Baby, he won't hurt Ava. Like you said, she's just a baby. She doesn't go out unsupervised; she's not 16 and she doesn't go to the mall with her friends. She's always got someone to watch over her when she goes out. It's always me, you, Kol or someone else you trust. And, let's face it, everyone we trust her with is of supernatural origin or really prepared humans. Nothing is going to happen to her; no one will let anyone happen to Ava. Although, I don't think we'll need to worry about it anyway. The way he looked at her was different; you could see him melt at the mere sight of her. I don't think he'll harm her physically," Damon assured her. Elena nodded, knowing what he meant. Giuseppe may not hurt her physically, but hurting her family could cause serious emotional damage.

Elena leaned forward and upward, placing the most sincere of kiss on his lips, which he accepted gratefully. It was just that, a soft reassuring kiss. She pulled her lips from his, her face still close as ever to his. She tenderly ran her hand on his cheek and jaw before smiling in his direction, pulling away all together. He smiled down at her as she took his hand, leading him into the house. He closed the door behind him and Elena visibly shivered from the sudden burst of cold air that ran up her exposed arms.

"C'mon, let's get you up to bed. It's chilly out," Damon said. Elena grinned at him and followed him up the nearest staircase to the foyer and up to their bedroom.

* * *

><p>The boarding house was quiet, more quiet than usual. Elena had gone about her morning routine of getting ready for work, making breakfast for everyone, letting Kol know that she was leaving and he was babysitting, and going to work. Damon however had business to do, he was to go to see his brother and get the story of what happened last night in his perspective at the boarding house. He'd already heard his father's point of view, hearing his brother's should be interesting.<p>

Damon looked around the main floor, using his supernatural hearing to check where in the house he might be before hearing creeks in the east wing floor boards. He calmly walked over to the other side of the house and found his brother sitting there, drinking his bourbon, and reading the newspaper.

"Such a modern day citizen you are, brother," Damon chuckled. Stefan tore his eyes from the newspaper and set it down with his drink on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at Damon expectantly before Damon looked back and raised his brow, as if to say; _what?_

"I heard him on the other end Damon; I know he was at your house. What happened? What did he say to you?" Stefan rambled. Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics, and walked over to the bar. Pouring himself a drink, he turned to face Stefan.

"He came over, said hi, and we kicked back with a six pack of beer and told stories. What do you think happened, Stefan?" Damon said sarcastically. Damon was downing his bourbon in one shot, which could have only meant two things; pain or anger. He set his cup down as Stefan got up and walked over to his brother, standing tall and face to face, not backing down.

Damon's eyes burned with anger before he spoke out, "He told me he came by because he heard my voice after walking in the woods and wanted to see me. He came to my house after he left yours. Then he was dodging my questions, and putting you first. Although, who could blame him? It's always going to be Stefan right?" Damon lashed out sarcastically before brushing his brother's shoulder on his way to the couch. Stefan looked at him confusedly and blinked.

"Oh, and not only that. He's convinced he has a granddaughter, and sons," Damon scoffed, downing another glass of bourbon. Stefan frowned at Damon and leaned back against the fire place mantle.

"Damon, he does have a granddaughter. And he does have sons," Stefan bargained. Damon shot up from his seat and stood right in front of Stefan, his demeanor cold. Stefan could feel the rage radiating off of his brother's body before he saw it, there in his eyes. The twinkle of blue in his left eye had always given it away, he was beyond angry, he was enraged.

"Don't you dare, Stefan. Ava is not his granddaughter, and I am not his son, you got that? He lost the right to call me a son the moment he shot that gun and killed me in 1864, you know that. I hate him, Stefan. I've never hated anyone more than I hate him and my anger is about the only feeling I have for that man. You want to kiss his ass and call him Daddy, fine, be my guest. But he is not my father, I am not his son, and he is not Ava's grandfather," Damon seethed through clenched teeth. Stefan took a step back from Damon to let him cool off; maybe he had said the wrong thing to Damon at the wrong time.

Damon scoffed at his brother and looked him up and down, "How could you even say that, Stefan? He killed you, he killed us. He tried to kill Katherine, you know, your girlfriend?" he challenged. Stefan stuck both of his hands into his hair and closed his eyes, blowing a frustrated sigh through his lips.

"Because, Damon! I killed him! I'm the reason he's dead. He killed me, but I killed him too. He's the reason I'm a vampire, and I'm the reason he is a vampire. All he's ever done has been for me. He did everything for me when I was alive, and despite the way he treated you, I can't hate him for that because I'm not you. He didn't treat me that way; he only treated you that way. I can't hate him for that, only you can. And as much as I want to hate him for killing me, turning me into who I am, and trying to kill Katherine, I can't hate him. He didn't kill me, and Katherine isn't dead. Are you forgetting that he's only a vampire because I killed him? God damnit Damon," Stefan yelled in frustration. He couldn't take all of Damon's bickering about his father when he was still trying to process the information himself.

Damon narrowed his eyes and turned them into slits, glaring at his little brother. Stefan immediately felt guilty for lashing out at his brother and opened his mouth to apologize when Damon put his hand up to stop him. "Save it, I don't care. Why should I care? He's not in my life; he hasn't been for a long time. I'm not going to let him change that, and I'm sure as hell not going to let you change that either. If you want a part in my daughter's life, you'll respect that."

Something in Stefan snapped as he spoke about Ava and he pinned Damon to the wall, his hands grasping at his shirt. "You haven't played a part in that girl's life for nearly 4 years, you don't get to tell me I don't get to see her. She's been one of the most important people in my life since she was born, and I was here to take care of her while you were gone. No matter what I do, or what I say, or who I see, you can't forbid me from seeing her or having a part in her life. She may be your daughter, but you're forgetting that she's my niece too. Don't you dare say that to me again, Damon," Stefan said. Damon abruptly punched his brother in the face and sent Stefan flying back.

"Don't you ever tell me what I can and can't do; she's my daughter, not yours. No matter how much time you've spent from her, you owed it to me to take care of her while I was away. Had it been for you, I wouldn't be here, and neither would she. And don't act like you did this all for me in the first place. You did this because of Elena and you did this because of Katherine too. I will say this again brother, loud and clear so you can hear me," Damon started, before picking his brother up from the floor and staring him in the face, "you try to throw your views about Father in my face again, or even talk about him with Ava, I won't be held responsible for the beat down you get afterwards. She's my daughter, don't tell me how to parent her," he scoffed.

Damon looked over at his brother in disgust before putting his cup of bourbon on the table next to Stefan dramatically and bumped his shoulder roughly as he turned on his heel, exiting the house. As he was walking down the porch steps, Katherine was walking up them. She looked him in the eyes and saw the same pain and anger Stefan did in the house.

"Hey, you okay?" Katherine asked. Damon rolled his eyes at her question, he hadn't been around long enough to believe that she had actually begun to start caring about anyone's feelings but her own, especially Damon's.

"Peachy," Damon said sarcastically before walking off to his car and angrily slamming the door, putting his car into gear and driving the opposite way of the boarding house, never looking back. Katherine rolled her eyes, she knew what his problem was but she honestly just wanted to get into the house to be with Stefan. Damon wasn't her problem, he was Elena's.

Katherine walked through the doorway and over to the east wing and found Stefan where Damon had left him, only the scene was a bit more dramatic. There were broken cups, spilt bourbon, and an angry Stefan clutching onto the fire place mantle. She looked at him sympathetically before leaning against the doorway, knowing he heard her. He didn't even turn to look at Katherine before he started speaking to her.

"I'm sorry. I was going to clean this up before you got home, things just got a little rough around here," Stefan apologized. She could hear the guilt and remorse in his voice, and that was not okay with her. She walked over to the bourbon bottle and picked it up, putting the lid on it and setting it onto the drink cart. She'd sauntered over to his side and he turned to look her in the eyes.

"Did he do this? Did he come over and start throwing things around? Or was that you after he left," She asked, knowing her answer. Stefan was unpredictable when he was alone and guilt tripped. Stefan rubbed his face in frustration as she put her arm around his waist. Giuseppe Salvatore was going to pay if he ever showed his face again near this house. For one, staking her and running off like a coward, and two, for messing with her boys.

* * *

><p>Elena was filing her taxes and bills in her office at the back of the café when she heard the door open and close softly. She tilted her head up and saw Katherine looking down at her, her usual clothes and hair still intact. Elena smiled warmly at her before gesturing to the seat in front of her and Katherine took it.<p>

"I'll just be a minute. I just paid all of my taxes of the month and bills for the café and I want to neatly organize them in my desk, just in case I ever need them again. Sit, talk to me," Elena said softly. She put her last binder into the alphabetically ordered filing cabinet of the desk and looked up to see Katherine about to speak, but obviously wanted all attention on her so she thought she'd wait until Elena was done. Elena chuckled and closed the drawer, folding her hands in her lap and giving Katherine her utmost undivided attention.

"Our dearest father-in-law showed up at my house yesterday, that wretched man. He had the audacity to show up at my house unannounced and uninvited then proceeded to shove a stake into my stomach. That bastard, if I ever see that man again, I'll kill him," Katherine fumed. Though, she fumed classily examining her nails and pursing her lips as she spoke. Elena sighed; understanding the way Katherine was feeling.

"I know; he showed up at my house last night right after your house. Damon was so angry and confused, you should have seen the way he reacted last night, and it was something I'd never seen before. I'd forgotten how seriously protective of us Damon is, and last night was quite the reminder. He had his own decrepit father pinned against the wall and he threatened him," Elena said. Katherine smirked at Elena's words, mentally picturing the entire thing in her head.

"God, I wish I was there to see that. What did you do?" Katherine said, eager to hear Elena's first encounter with the one and only Giuseppe Salvatore. Elena rolled her eyes and almost snapped the pencil she had in her hand in two.

"That man is so infuriating. I may or may not have made some comments towards him, insulting him and his behavior in my own home. Who does that man think he is, insulting Damon in our own home? Not to mention the fact that he made Damon extremely angry and protective over Ava when Giuseppe said something about her being his granddaughter," Elena said. This sparked Katherine's attention and she leaned forward, looking Elena dead in the eyes.

"How did he find out about Ava?" Katherine questioned, wariness generating all over her facial features. Katherine had become very attached to Ava since birth; she was in the hospital room when Ava had been born. And no bond is greater than that. Elena huffed as she thought back to the events of last night.

"Ava had come down the stairs for a drink last night when we were talking with him at the door. It was simply wrong place and wrong timing. Kol was with her upstairs but she slipped past him quietly while he was sleeping. Damon saw her and went to her, got her back to sleep before Kol came back down and took her to bed again. Giuseppe obviously must have put two and two together and noticed that he was Ava was his daughter," Elena said. Katherine nodded, absorbing all of the information and getting a mental imagery of what happened last night. She shuddered at the thought of how upset Damon must have been last night.

"I was so worried, Kat. I still am. What if he comes back to hurt my baby, I'll kill him for that, I swear," Elena said. Katherine felt a tug at her heart when Elena spoke about Ava, knowing she'd do the same for that little girl too.

"Well, I just came by to talk to you about this, and I really should get going. By the way, Kol and Ava just arrived for lunch. I can hear those two a mile away, she's always laughing with him. As much as I hate to say this, because that kid is such a brat, he's actually really good with Ava. You should do anything in your power to keep him around, for her sake," Katherine smiled at Elena. Elena got up and hugged her doppelganger before Katherine stood on her heels and walked right out of her office.

Elena walked out of the office as well after making sure her office looked presentable, just in case anyone had to come in for some reason, and by the time she was in the café Katherine was gone. Though she saw her daughter sitting at the bar stool beside the counter with Kol right beside her on the left bar stool. They were playing with the kids menu and crayons that were handed to Ava and every other child that came by the café. Elena smiled at her daughter and Kol before walking in front of them, behind the counter and beside the register that Lucy was operating.

Ava snapped her head up at her mom and her eyes twinkled with delight, causing Elena's heart to melt. "Mommy, look, I beat the maze! I drew from one side to the other without hitting a wall," Ava said proudly. Kol grinned at Ava's happiness and Elena nodded very enthusiastically.

"Yeah, baby, I can see that. What do you want to eat today?" Elena smiled at her pride and joy. Ava put her small index finger to her chin and started tapping it dramatically. Elena and Kol laughed out loud at Ava's theatrics before Ava had come up with her choice.

"I want a ham and cheese sandwich, please," Ava grinned, her pearly white teeth shinning.

"You got it. Coming right up, baby," Elena said to her daughter. She went into the kitchen not paying attention to anything other than making her daughter the lunch she wanted. She knew that the questions were soon coming, from Kol and Ava. About who the man was at the door last night, and why Daddy was so angry with him. Though right now, she just focused on making her daughter the sandwich. She took out a bun from the storage room, placing cold cut ham pieces in it and two slices of mozzarella cheese on it, before sticking it into the toaster oven. She knew Ava liked it warm, with melted cheese. By the time the time was done, she took out the sandwich and cut it in half, placing it on a plate and walking over to the counter to give Ava her food.

"Do you want anything, Kol?" Elena asked, knowing what her answer will be.

"No thanks, I already had something at home," his mischievous eyes telling her that it wasn't human food he had at home. She felt herself relax in her mind knowing that he had fed from the blood bags in the basement, so he wouldn't be hungry. Elena grabbed a cup and filled it with orange juice and a straw while putting it beside Ava and smiled at them before going out to take orders from the busy café crowd.

She was taking an order from one of her regular customers, Mrs. Flowers, when Damon had walked into the café. Elena looked over at him and smiled as he did her. He noticed the laugh of his daughter somewhere in the room and started scanning the café trying to find her. She was sitting at the bar stool still with Kol, right where Elena had left her. Damon walked right up behind her, in an attempt to surprise her, when she smirked. Her back was turned and his front was facing her back.

"Hi Daddy," Ava said. Damon laughed and reached around her mid-section, giving her a hug and placing a kiss on her cheek. Elena saw the interaction between Damon and Ava from the other side of the café and her heart started melting, she could get used to this every day. He left Kol and Ava alone as he started walking past the kitchen and into Elena's office. She rolled her eyes at this; it was clearly a sign that he wanted her to follow him. Thankfully, she had chosen to clean the office before she started working with customers.

By the time Elena walked into the office and closed the door behind her, Damon was already sitting partially on her desk, his arms folded on his chest. He smirked at her and she just smirked right back. Elena walked over to him in a calm pace, her hands reaching out and tangling through his hair and pushing his head forward for her lips to catch his. He willingly obliged to the kiss and his arms snaked around her waist. He started smiling through the kiss, and Elena's blunt teeth pulled on his bottom lip softly.

They pulled away a few minutes later, their foreheads resting against each other's. Damon's hand started stroking Elena's silky soft brown hair and tucked a piece behind her ear. Elena beamed up at him with her doe like eyes and his heart started melting from the coldness he displayed at the boarding house with his brother. "Hi," she said softly. Damon chuckled at her and kissed her cheek.

"Hi beautiful," he said genuinely. Elena felt giddy at his comment and detangled herself from him, standing in front of him. She didn't want their perfect moment to stop, but she had to say things to him.

"I have to go grocery shopping today after work; it would be nice if you came with me. Kol's going to drop Ava off at Caroline's and he's going out, so it'll give me time to do things around the house," Elena said. Her hands were running up and down his chest as he stared at her large brown doe eyes. How could he ever say no? He nodded at her and she smiled, bringing him down for another kiss before pulling away shortly.

"I end work in an hour today because we're really slow and Lucy's got it covered. Kol's going to take Ava to Caroline's right after she finishes eating and I want to say bye to them," Elena smiled brightly. Damon chuckled and whispered sweet things into her ear that made her melt before pulling away and giving him a knowing look. They both walked out of her office and back into the café, seeing their precious daughter chomping away at her sandwich.

Ava turned her head abruptly to her mom and dad, sensing them from a far. She finished the last bite before hopping off her seat and jogging into her daddy's arms, where he picked her up and held her close. Damon pressed a kiss to Ava's forehead and Elena put her hand on her chest, he heart aching from watching the beautiful interaction between the two. There was no bond stronger than the bond of family.

Kol walked over to Elena and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace as Elena did the same before pulling back to look at each other in the eyes. "I have to take her to Caroline's now, unless you want more time with her and you want to take her by yourselves," Kol said to Damon. Damon shook his head and gave a willing Ava to Kol with a small kiss on her cheek.

"Bye Momma, bye Daddy," Ava waved as she wrapped her arms around Kol's neck.

"Bye baby, I love you," Elena said softly to her daughter, knowing she heard her with her supernatural hearing. Damon smiled at his daughter and blew her a kiss as she was leaving with Kol; his princess was safe in Kol's arms and would be safe even in the arms of Caroline. Though, Damon still had his suspicions about Klaus. Elena looked at her watch and noticed it was just about 45 minutes until her shift was over so she went back to work after giving Damon a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

><p>Damon went to go visit Alaric at the school. Elena had told him that Jenna told her he was off during period 4 and if he remembers correctly, period 4 started about 10 minutes ago. When he got to the school, he parked his car in the parking lot and started walking up the school steps. On his way, there were high school girls gawking at his beauty and he chuckled to himself; he still had game.<p>

It wasn't long before he reached Alaric's history classroom and found his best friend grading papers. Damon leaned against the doorframe of the classroom, staring at Alaric while he rubbed his temples in frustration. Damon coughed a very unnecessary cough to gain Alaric's attention, and he got it. Alaric's head snapped up and his eyes widened to the extreme. He scrambled out of his chair and Damon just stood their casually, his signature smirk still intact. Damon's smirk faded into a genuine smile as Alaric wrapped his arms around Damon in a tight brotherly hug. It was a while after but they finally pulled apart and Alaric looked Damon in the eyes before doing something very different than Damon expected. Before Damon could register what was happening, Alaric's fist collided with Damon's jaw. Damon rubbed his aching jaw before they both started laughing.

"Ric, you should get out of this high school more often. You're starting to punch like a little school girl," Damon joked. Alaric couldn't believe Damon was actually here and standing in front of him. He'd heard Damon was back in town and he knew he'd come back to see him sooner or later, but he wasn't expecting it right now. It's almost been 5 years; sue him if he wasn't a little startled that his best friend came back from the land of unknowingness.

"You should have told me where you were going, prick. I know why you left, but I know how to keep secrets," Alaric said. Damon went through Alaric's deck drawers before figuring out that there was no booze in them. He looked up at Ric with questioning eyes and Alaric just shook his head at him.

"I've got a daughter Damon, and I haven't had anyone come by my classroom to grab some alcohol in a long, long time. Though, on Thursday Jenna and Jessica are going out for dinner with Jen's mom; girl's night or something. Let's go to the grill and we'll catch up on old times," Alaric proposed.

"Sounds good, I can sneak away from my own family for a couple of hours. I'm sure Kol and Elena can hold down the fort. How are Jenna and Jessica?" Damon asked, trying to start conversation. He picked up the picture book on his desk and flipped through it. There were pictures of Ric and Jenna at their wedding, Jessica's first birthday and recurring birthdays until her recent fifth one, one of Alaric and Damon at his and Elena's wedding, more of Jenna and Jessica, and one of Elena and Ava. He smiled at the picture of his daughter, who must have been about a year old in the photo, and stroked her face.

"They're great actually, I'm anxious to get home to them because tonight is Jessica's dance recital. I would invite you but it's a pre-order ticket event and I only got three, Jenna, Jenna's mom, and I."

"That's okay; I just stopped by to see my favourite ex vampire hunting best friend. I was hoping for a drink but it seems you've converted yourself to an upstanding citizen while I was gone, which I can live with. I have to go grocery shopping with Elena today anyway, I'll see you Thursday," Damon said. He was about to leave before he heard Alaric try to spank him with an imaginary whip with sound effects of whip lashing. He rolled his eyes at his theatrics, if he was whipped for going grocery shopping with Elena then he must have been mega whipped for going to a 5 year olds dance recital instead of a bar.

* * *

><p>Elena and Damon made their way home after returning from the cafe. Damon plopped down on the couch and began watching TV while Elena walked downstairs to the fridge in the basement apartment she was letting Kol stay in. She knew that there were days where Kol had to babysit Ava so she wanted to make sure all the fridges in the house were stocked with some food.<p>

Having a pen and a notebook ready to list things for groceries, she opened the refrigerator door and sighed heavily; there was no food. There were only bottles of ketchup and other things that she stored in this fridge because of lack of space in the other one on the main floor.

She managed to get a couple of things down before something of interest caught her attention, a little bag hiding behind one of the bottles on the fridge door. She placed the pen and paper down to pick up the bag, taking it and flipping it over to read what it was.

Elena rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. Mumbling things under her breath, she closed the fridge door and walked up the stairs. Damon could hear her frustrations and only part of her mumbling, causing him to roll his eyes at her and smirk afterwards.

"What is it?" He said.

"Kol left an empty blood bag in the fridge. In the damn fridge! Where normal beings walk into and look around for food!" She said, getting up to throw it in the garbage.

"So? I keep my blood bags in the fridge too?"

Elena closed the trash can lid and turned to look at Damon; her eyes bore holes into his head, "No, you don't. You used to, before we had Ava. Now we have a specific room with freezers for it," she said.

"What's the big deal? It's just a blood bag," He smiled. Elena sat down on the couch with her pouty face as Damon got up for a split second to grab the remote off the coffee table and sat back down, his arm going around her shoulders.

"The big deal is that we have Ava now, Damon. I don't want her to walk up to the fridge one day and open it then see a blood bag in there. She's 3, she shouldn't be exposed to things like that," Elena pouted.

"Okay, then tell him that when he comes home. He's pretty loyal Elena, if you tell him not to do it again then he won't. No need to get all pouty about it," Damon smirked slightly. Elena closed her eyes and laid her head on top of Damon's chest as he placed a gentle kiss to her hair and smooth the hair down its length. After a while, Elena remembered the reason she came home was to go grocery shopping so she hopped off the couch with Damon hot on her tail. She grabbed the list off the kitchen bulletin board and went out to her car. Damon popped into her passenger seat but it wasn't long before Elena noticed his slight frown and huff.

"What?" she asked, putting the key into the ignition after putting on her seatbelt on and backing out of the drive way.

"Why do we have to take your car? I like my car better, and I don't like sitting in the passenger seat," Damon complained. Elena laughed as they stopped at a traffic light before looking at Damon. Her face screaming amusement at his theatrics, it was really cute to see the way Damon felt about his car and how he felt about control.

"We're taking my car because, no offense honey, your car is really old. This is a brand new car and welcome to the 21st century where woman can now be in control and be behind the wheel," Elena said. The red light they were at turned green and they started driving down the road towards the grocery store, Damon huffed.

"It's not about control, Elena. It's about me wanting to drive my baby, it's been a while. I've missed her sweet smelling leather seats. Also, I'm not used to sitting in the passenger seat, I like sitting in my driver's seat, okay," Damon said with mock defense. Elena rolled her eyes as they appeared in the parking lot of the grocery store. She parked the car in the empty parking space by the entry doors and took her key out of the ignition, turning her body to face her unhappy husband.

"Fine, after we bring the groceries to the car and you use your sexy vampire strength to put them in the trunk, you can drive my car home. I'll be in the passenger seat and you'll be the driver. This car may not be your baby, but it's mine. It has leather seats and means a lot to me, you'll learn to love it too," she bargained. He still looked a little unhappy because it wasn't his car they were driving, but none the less his face lightened. She rolled her eyes at him and kissed him on the lips passionately before they took off their seat belts and got out of the car.

Elena took her purse from the back seat and closed the back door, clicking the car alarm as they started walking towards the store. They heard the familiar beep of the car and walking into the grocery store. Damon grabbed a shopping cart but felt a little awkward driving it around the store so he handed it to Elena. He liked to think that he was a man and if he had his wife with him going grocery shopping then she could drive the cart.

They went down the different aisles and picked things from the list that they needed to put in the cart. After the fourth aisle they went through, Damon looked at the car and scoffed. "Who in their right mind likes Raisin Bran? This has to be the worst thing in the world, aside from Total. Is this what you've been feeding my daughter for the past couple of years?" Damon said, his face disgusted at the mere image of his daughter eating this. She tore it from his hands and put it back in the cart.

"For your information, this is a very healthy type of cereal. It's got everything you need from the calories to the protein, and there are different types of vitamins in it," Elena said, reading the back of the box that was still facing her from inside the cart. Damon took it back out and placed it on the rack, trading it for Lucky Charms.

"It may have everything you need, but not everything you want. Since when do you need to watch your calories or protein? What does it matter to you if your cereal is healthy?" Damon chuckled. Elena tore her face from his and began shopping without another word. Damon's brows scrunched together and he looked her, Elena had become embarrassed and she was starting to blush.

"Elena?" He said carefully. She murmured a 'hmm' at him before he looked around the aisle to make sure no one was here. He blurred in front of her and grabbed her face in his hands, studying her face carefully. She sighed and took his hand off her face and began to walk the cart further down the aisle before speaking.

"Because Damon, do you want me to become an even bigger balloon than I am now?" She huffed. She looked the list and started putting in eggs and milk carefully into her cart. Damon looked appalled that she would say something like that to him, she was not fat.

"Are you trying to tell me you think you're fat? Because I can tell you now, you're not fat. Elena, you had a baby. You're not going to be a stick like you used to be, but you're extremely far from fat. If anything, I like you better this way. You're filled out in places that used to be so small and I love it," Damon assured her. She half smiled at him and nodded and he noticed that even though she listened to him, she didn't understand him.

"Damon, it's sweet when you say things like that, but it's almost been four years since I've had a baby. I would have liked to think this baby weight would have gone already," She expressed her inner thoughts. They had grabbed all of the groceries they needed and Damon wrapped his arm around her as she drove the cart. He kissed her forehead and whispered softly into her ear.

"It has gone; it's just that you're more filled out. If you want, I can prove to you that you're not fat," he said. She chuckled as they got to the self-check-out.

"Oh yeah, how?" she chuckled, scanning items and putting them into plastic bags. Damon started putting the bags into the cart and he shot her a seductive glance.

"Tell Caroline to keep Ava for the night, and then tell Kol to find somewhere else to spend the night. I'll show you," he said. Damon's husky voice leaving trails of goose bumps all over Elena's body. They haven't been intimate that way in an incredibly long time and Elena felt a little self-conscious. After they paid for their groceries, Damon brought them into the trunk as Elena brought the cart back. Damon drove over to the entrance to pick her up and she hopped into the passenger seat. Elena was texting Caroline to ask her if she could keep Ava for the night.

_Text Message  
>From: Elena<br>To: Caroline _

_Hey Care, can you keep Ava with you tonight? I'm sure you have some clothes of hers already at your house; we're going to be kind of busy at the house today so we'd appreciate it if you and Klaus could babysit. Let me know._

Not even a minute later, she got a text back from Caroline.

_Text Message  
>From: Caroline<br>To: Elena_

_Yeah, no problem. I have some clothes of hers in the spare room as well so it'll be okay; she's really excited to have a sleepover with her uncle Nik and aunt Care, ha-ha. Have fun tonight ;)_

Elena chuckled at her text; of course Caroline knew why she'd asked her to babysit. Although, she'd thought of something else in this time so she sent her another text back.

_Text Message  
>From: Elena<br>To: Caroline_

_Could you let Kol crash there too?_

Caroline sent her reply quickly; Elena chuckled as she opened it and read it.

_Text Message  
>From: Caroline<br>To: Elena_

_You owe me. I want all the dirty details if you're making me keep that brat in my house, xo_

Elena didn't reply to her text, instead she sent one to Kol. She was advising him that he should just go straight to Klaus's house when he was done instead of coming home.

_Text Message  
>From: Elena<br>To: Kol_

_Hey, spend the night at Klaus and Caroline's tonight. Damon and I need some alone time._

She sent it and soon enough she got a reply back.

_Text Message  
>From: Kol<br>To: Elena_

_I'm only going if Ava's going. There's no way you're making me stay with control-freak Caroline for a whole night._

She laughed and read the text to Damon, he laughed too.

_Text Message  
>From: Elena<br>To: Kol_

_Yeah, she'll be there. Thanks Kol! Xo_

She never got replies back but that was okay, she had Damon. Once Damon had parked the car in the garage they got out and started bringing the groceries into the house and putting them away into the appropriate places, upstairs and downstairs. Once they were done, Damon had made a beautiful dinner for Elena while she relaxed in the bathtub. They ate in peace after she was done with her bath and when they were done they cleaned the kitchen together.

They had retreated to the bedroom and that's when everything started. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her lips with such passion. It wasn't like the other times they kissed; this one was filled with such need and want. He kissed her passionately and she kissed him back with the same amount of fire. That's what they were; catastrophic fire. He laid her down gently on the bed and brought his kisses down from her lips to her jawline and then down to her neck.

She gasped lightly when he kissed the inside of her palm next, then the slight pulsing vein in her wrist. This was startlingly more intimate and she felt herself leaning closer to him. His eyes shut when she moved to caress his face, her thumb smoothing over his bottom lip. It was like they were in a trance, like this moment was specifically for them and no one could break it or ruin it. The next moment she was in his lap and his lips were on hers. She kissed back hard, her fingers moving into his hair as she fought him onto his back.

Damon let her press him down, his head molding into the pillows, breathing in her scent all around him. He kept his eyes closed, afraid that if he opened them this would become a dream. His hands rested on her hips, but when she ground into him, he found himself gripping her tightly. She felt the hiss between his teeth as she broke the kiss to trail her lips down his neck. "I want you Damon. I can't take it anymore, it's been too long."

His hands smoothed up and under her t-shirt, caressing the soft skin under it before pulling it over her head. He flipped them over and now he was on top of her, kissing her lips and pulling back slightly. His lips grazed and hovered over hers, "patience. I'm supposed to be proving a point to you," he said with such love in his voice. She was underneath him in boy shorts and a bra, her hair was damp from just coming out of the bath a while ago. She reached up to remove his shirt and successfully got it off but he stopped her before she could undo his pants.

"This is about you right now," he said. He kissed her and she kissed him back. He pulled back to gawk at her body and she started feeling self-conscious. In an attempt to cover herself a bit she raised her hands but he pinned them down at her sides. He kissed his way down her chest until he reached her belly button, swirling his tongue in and around it. It caused her to squirm a bit and breathlessly moan his name. Her moan was having an effect on him and she could feel a part of him started to noticeably poke her thighs.

He undid the clasp of her bra and let it fall to the ground before he licked his lips at the beauty that were her breasts. He released her arms to place light feathery touches up her sides and cup her breasts. She arched her back in pleasure, pushing her breasts further into his hands and causing her head to fall back against the pillows. He kissed the tops of each breast before his hands started working their magic on them.

"I love these. I've always loved them, but I love them more now. They fit better into my soft palms and they're so nice to play with," he whispered seductively against her skin and took her right nipple into his mouth gently tugging, sucking, and nipping. His tongue swirled around it and covered it in small moisture of saliva before pulling back with a pop. She moaned at his ministrations but groaned as he pulled away from her. He chuckled lightly and moved from one breast to the other, continuing where he left off.

He had her moaning in ecstasy under him and he hadn't even begun to get to the good parts. He pulled back from her breast to kiss her lips, "what is it that you don't like about your upper body?" he whispered. She looked up at him with sad doe eyes before looking down at her belly button area where there were small and not so noticeable white lines.

"My stretch marks from when I was pregnant with Ava. I tried everything to get rid of them but it doesn't help, they're always there. They've just faded a bit," she said. She was ashamed of her body and biting her bottom lip in embarrassment. She'd never told anybody about her insecurities about her stretch marks, she'd never had to. She'd always gone out and covered them, especially around people when she went swimming. She always wore a one piece because of it.

Damon looked down at the small thin white lines and kissed each of them individually, going up the small lengthened lines. "These aren't bad at all. I've seen plenty of women to have stretch marks during and after pregnancy. I've never seen a woman with such small stretch marks. It's either you get them or you don't. You obviously got them, but they're nothing to be ashamed of. They're perfect, and they're apart of you. I love them, and I love you. Don't even think of them as stretch marks. Think of them as battle scars. You had to handle carrying a baby behind this for 9 months. All that hard work pulled off and you had a baby. You had our baby, and I'm completely grateful for it. If anything, these battle scars should make you happy. They are a reminder of the miracle that we produced," Damon said softly. She nodded as a tear rolled down her eye at the delicate tone he was using with her.

He cupped her face and wiped her tear away with the pad of the thumb, kissing her eyes as she shut them. He grabbed her hands and placed them on her stomach, guiding her fingertips along her battle scars. "These are my battle scars and I'm not ashamed of them because they helped me keep our daughter safe. Say it, baby," he said. His piercing blue eyes looking into her soft brown orbs.

"These are my battle scars and I'm not ashamed of them because they helped me keep our daughter safe," she said softly. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't feel as ashamed of them. All of it was thanks to Damon. He kissed her stomach softly before hooking his fingers into the tops of her boy shorts and pulling them down gently, leaving them on the floor next to her shirt and bra.

There she lay, bare for him, body and soul. He started kissing from her soft skin on her foot and up her ankle, shin, and knee. He bent her knee and spread her legs apart for better access. Damon started kissing higher and higher up her thigh then started going closer and closer to her inner thigh. He latched onto the soft and delicate skin of her inner thigh, pulling away before he left any love bites. She began moaning softly then loudly as he got closer and closer to her intense heat between her legs. He did the same to her left leg and pulled away as he did before with her torso. It was becoming incredibly difficult to keep it together. This erection was straining against his pants, desperate to feel her. "What is it that you don't like about your lower body?" He asked her carefully.

She looked down at her thighs and sighed, "I don't like how big my thighs are," she whispered faintly to him. Knowing he could hear her because he had supernatural hearing. He wrapped his fairly medium sized hands and fingers around the middle of her thighs, his thumb and middle finger from both his right and left hands touched with a generous amount of space left.

He looked her in the eye and gave her a reassuring smile as she looked at his ministrations. "See? If your thighs really were big, I wouldn't be able to wrap my hands around them. I love your legs, they're long and sexy. Your thighs are only a little bigger than they were because there's muscle in them, not fat. You're beautiful," Damon said. Elena had never seen so much love in her husband's eyes before. It was so nice to have someone physically prove to you that you weren't what you negatively thought you were for so long.

Damon knew she had no other complaints about her body so he spread her legs open a little and his fingers found their way inside her. She called out a little loudly and he had to kiss her to muffle the sound. When he was sure she could be quiet he released her, a dark chuckle falling from his lips. She reached up to turn the light off but he shook his head. "Why?"

"I want to see you, Elena." He whispered, bending his head and licking along the side of her neck. He pressed kisses down her throat to her collarbone, between her breasts and back up.

She shook her head, opened her mouth to protest but then he twisted his finger up and she lost all need to speak other than to moan his name as he stroked her higher. She held on tight to his bicep as he brought her other hand between them, coaxing her to help bring her orgasm closer. He watched as they worked together, her cries all the more sweeter when she came. He swallowed her curses and pleases as she finished his body more than ready for a turn. Her heart hammered out of control, her free hand pressed against it in a pitiful attempt to slow it, "Oh my God."

He laughed and dipped his head, his lips pressed to hers briefly. "There's no need for titles, baby. I like it when you scream my name much better."

She slapped his chest as he climbed off the bed, watching as he slipped out of his jeans. The harsh fabric had rubbed her in a few places, but the rough had been a nice contrast to his smooth skin. She moved over so he could lay next to her, sliding her legs under the covers and holding them up so he could get under them. She'd glimpsed at his naked form, but now more than anything she wanted to feel him, be joined to him- not stare at him. He slipped one arm under her pillow, his other hand bringing her lips to his. She shivered when his fingers danced down her side, over her hip to the back of her knee where he slipped her leg over his.

She could feel how hard he was against her and he could feel just how wet she was as his thigh settled between her legs. As their tongues battled he pulled her closer, a deep moan escaping her lips as she rubbed against him. She needed more friction, craved more and so when he pulled her over him, she allowed him. After a few minutes of teasing and kissing the pleased smirk off his face, Elena lifted herself over him and slowly slid down. The lack of speed was killing him and the little control he had snapped. She gasped as she felt his hands tighten on her waist, forcing himself inside her. Her nails gripped roughly to his chest, giving them both a minute to adjust. She felt incredible, suddenly alive and she was moving before she even realized it.

Damon growled as her hips rolled down against his, the warmth and tightness driving him crazy. He was sure he was bruising her from holding on so tightly, but he couldn't help it. Every move she made felt so damn good to him. Elena bent down to kiss him; his mouth slowly parted a bit to grasp her bottom lip in with his teeth. She kissed him just as much, her blood boiling at the thought of him biting her.

He smirked, wrapping his fingers through her hair and holding her lips against his as they moved together, skin to skin; bodies locked together in a perfect dance of pleasure he was certain he could never tire of. Her tongue slipped between his teeth again, searching for his. He felt the first strong moan in the back of her throat moments before she tightened possessively around him. He watched her sit up, the faint light from the lamp illuminated her skin and making it glow. Her fingers laced through his, holding on tight as she rode faster.

He sat up, bringing her lips to his and silencing her cries as orgasm ripped through their bodies jointly. He flipped them over and a moment later he was on top his thrusts losing their grace as he lost control. Her hands were locked above her head and he wrapped one hand around both wrists as he pushed her hair away from her neck with gentle fingers.

Elena arched under him, the sensation almost too much to comprehend. When he lay next to her she curled up against his body, their skin still heated. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. Slowly, sleep and exhaustion took over.

Damon stayed awake a little while longer, stroking her hair and listening and feeling the beats of her heart. He knew he was successful in showing Elena how much he knew about her body. He knew she wasn't fat, and should be ashamed of herself. Damon taught her how to love herself even more now, and he took such pride in his works.

He almost fell asleep but before he could, he heard the sound of a window breaking. He let go of Elena gently before she woke up and quickly pulled on his boxers. He blurred into the guest room and saw a rock on the floor with a note taped to it, _how unoriginal and cliché of someone to do that, _Damon thought. He picked it up and read the note, unsure of what he should do next.

_Watch your back, Salvatore. We're coming for you.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>I honestly loved your reviews from the last chapter. I'm a little disappointed from the lack of reviews for the last chapter though. All of my reviewers, followers, and favouriters mean the world to me. Though my reviewers make me most giddy, I don't know what I would do without the rest of you. Small thank you to you silent readers, just note that the more reviews I get, the faster I update. I take constructive criticism and any other thought you like in reviews.<em>

_I'm going to start doing shout outs to blogs or account users who give me reviews and promos for this story so watch out for the next chapter!_

_Upcoming chapters will include fluff but also a lot of built up angst and anger. _

_Feedback is love people_


	5. Secrets

_**Story:** Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter:** Secrets_

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Vampire Diaries, just this plot and the extra characters_

* * *

><p>"It looks like a beaver."<p>

"No, I think it looks more like a bear."

"Why don't you get out of my room?" Kol groaned from his sleep.

Elena and Ava were staring at him from his bedside as soon as they got home after shopping. It had been two weeks since Elena's encounter with Damon's father and she could truly say that she officially felt safe enough to go out with Ava and actually have fun. Ava raised her tiny arm to lift the pillow from Kol's face and his eyes opened in a flash, his eyes boring holes into hers.

"I said, go away," Kol groaned again, shoving the pillow back onto his face. Ava giggled and looked up at Elena, wondering what she was thinking about all of this. Elena shrugged at her daughter and laughed, though in her mind she was truly concerned. Kol had begun to start neglecting his friends and family, especially Elena and Ava. He started leaving her more and more with Damon even though he had promised to be Ava's babysitter. He's been going out to parties, getting ridiculously drunk, and becoming completely sloppy.

"C'mon Kol, get up. There are things we need to do today," Elena urged. You could hear her slight motherly tone in her voice as she spoke to Kol. He didn't say a word to her; instead, he just rolled to the other side of the bed. The was pillow still covering his face and blanket down to his waist, showing his toned and bare back.

"Kol, seriously, get up. You need to clean your room, get something to eat and sober up. Let some light into your room for heaven's sake," Elena said. She turned around to open up some blinds but was stopped by Kol blurring in front of her, cutting her off from doing so.

"No, don't open them. It's too bright and my eyes can't take that," Kol said, rubbing his eyes profusely. Elena cocked her head to the side in confusion before turning around to Ava's innocent pale face, asking her to grab Kol a water bottle from the refrigerator. Ava complied and was on her way, happily skipping out of the room before Elena turned her face back to Kol's.

"You reek of booze and look like hell. Ava's senses are stronger than mine, so I know she can smell it on you too. Get your act together Kol, what's going on with you? You've been neglecting your responsibilities and you're really starting to spark curiosity in Ava," Elena expressed her concern to Kol. He rolled his eyes, thinking Elena was over reacting. He could still hear Ava rummaging through the fridge upstairs so he decided to continue this conversation with Elena until she came back.

"So what if she smells it. Damon drinks too, I don't see you complaining. I've babysat for you while you guys want your own nights to yourself too. She's your daughter, Elena, not mine. If I want to drink and sleep all day, what's the matter with that? I'm not bothering anyone by being alone. I babysit her when you need me to, then when I'm not I do what I want for fun," Kol said. Elena's brows crossed in confusion before she rolled her eyes. _Sure, pick 1000 years later to act like a teenager, _she thought.

She looked at him with pleading eyes before he looked away from her, he couldn't stand to look at her if this was how she was going to look. She had a mixture of worry, disappointment, and confusion on her face.

"Clean up, Kol. Clean your room, clean yourself and clean up your attitude. You live under my roof, you do as I say. You want to go out and party all night, fine, be my guest. You're not my teenage son, you don't have a curfew. But if you think you're going to stumble through my doorway, drunk as hell, and then sleep all day while I have a toddler who lives here as well, you're sadly mistaken," She said. He looked at her shocked for a moment but heard Ava's footsteps nearing his door.

Ava came in with a bright smile on her face and ran over to Kol, hugging his legs. She handed him a water bottle that her mother told her to grab for him, and he accepted it with a small smile on his face. She was about to speak to Kol before Elena picked her up and spoke first.

"Daddy's waiting for us upstairs, baby. We're going to go get a cake for Aunt Katherine's birthday party. Maybe if Kol cleans his room before we get back, he can have some of the cake too," Elena said. Though her voice was joking towards her daughter, Kol could hear her pleading for him to comply. He rolled his eyes and sipped on his water bottle, already beginning to pick up clothes from his floor to throw into the laundry hamper.

Ava beamed at her mom and hugged her before looking at Kol, "You should listen to Momma, she's always right. Mommy even says you can have some cake too!" Ava giggled. Kol had a smile on his face as Ava spoke; he'd missed her warm voice.

"And between you and me, if you clean my room too, I'll let you have some of my cake," Ava whispered to Kol. He let out a heartfelt laugh before winking at Ava, obvious to Elena as she was laughing as well. She set Ava down and urged her to go upstairs to find her father, trying to have one last conversation with Kol.

"Hey, look. Whatever it is that's got you so wound up, or upset that you've been drinking your life away these past couple of weeks, you can talk to me if you want. I love you, Kol. I'm here for you, whenever you need me. Don't ever think that I'm not, just because I have Damon back and I'm trying to get my family back together again, doesn't mean I don't have time for you," she said softly. Kol nodded at her and hugged her, unable to say those three words back to her. She patted his back sympathetically and pulled away gently, giving him a reassuring nod before heading upstairs to join her husband and daughter.

She'd found Damon and Ava in the foyer of the house. Damon was sitting on the step by the front door and Ava was standing right in front of him as he was trying to zip up her jacket. They were laughing together as Damon couldn't get the zipper properly and Elena just leaned on the doorway, watching her silly little family. When Damon got the zipper up, he turned his head in his wife's direction and smiled genuinely at her.

They'd grown incredibly close ever since he'd proven his love to her, the first time they had been intimate when he came back. She didn't think it was possible to be so close to someone, mentally, physically and emotionally, but she was. This was all thanks to Damon.

Ava squealed as Damon opened the door for them and let Ava out, he chuckled as he saw her small form running out of her house. She was perfect. Her long and silky straight black hair was perfectly brushed back into a pony tail, and her blue eyes accentuated her flawless pale complexion. She had on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a black sweater, accompanied by her black leather jacket given to her by Damon and grey boots that came up a little past her ankles. Ava's scarf, mittens, and ear muffs were all grey with black butterfly designs. She looked stunning and captivating; and she was only 3 years old.

"C'mon, wouldn't want those yummy cakes to get sold out now, do we?" Damon chuckled at his daughter. She shook her head ferociously before running straight to Elena's car, opening the back door to where her car seat was. Damon groaned as he saw his daughter run towards his wife's car instead of his classic one and Elena laughed a heartfelt laugh from behind them.

"Don't pout, baby. You had to know that she'd pick my car over yours; she's more of a modern girl not a classic one. Besides, she has her mother's amazing taste," Elena bragged. Damon shot her a knowing look and Elena's eyes widened as much as her mouth before she let out a yelp and ran towards the car as well, leaving a trail of laughter behind her. Damon laughed and shook his head before running towards to car after his girls.

Damon hopped into the driver's seat as Elena climbed into the passenger seat. They alternated when they drove Elena's car; Elena would drive when Damon was tired and didn't want to drive anymore or Damon would drive when Elena wasn't in the mood and/or was busy. It wasn't established like this, it was just how it went between them.

They had begun to start driving towards the bakery and they'd already been engaging in conversation, as always. It was always random topics, never anything serious.

"What kind of cake should we get for Aunt Katherine?" Damon asked Ava.

Ava smiled brightly at her father and thought long and hard before she came up with her answer. "I don't know, I think Aunt Katherine might like chocolate cake but I think she might like red velvet better," Ava said.

"Why would you think she would like red velvet better?" Elena asked.

Ava smiled at her mom, "Because red velvet cake is red like blood and Aunt Katherine is a vampire," Ava said. Ava held up her hands and curled her fingers in a cute attempt of trying to be scary with a little hiss and a failed attempt of showing off her non-existent fangs. Elena chuckled and shook her head while Damon was laughing hysterically.

Ava pouted, "I was trying to be scary, not funny," she whined.

Elena laughed quietly before turning around to face her daughter, "I can't help it, you're just too cute," Elena smiled.

They arrived at Betty's Bakery, just a down the street for the Mystic Grill, and parked their car at the side of the road. Upon their arrival into the store, Ava was running through the whole bakery with the biggest smile on her face as Damon and Elena walked a little more behind, chuckling at their daughter's happiness. It was great being a 3 year old, there were no cares in the world because Mommy and Daddy have it all figured out for you. Damon intertwined his fingers with Elena's as he watched his daughter run through the bakery through his sunglasses.

Elena brought his hand up to kiss it before snuggling closer to him, extremely ecstatic to have him back. They started to look through the store before they saw Ava kneel down to glue her face to the glass counter, the base of her palm spread out on the glass as she looked at the beautiful cakes. Damon and Elena reached Ava and she looked up at them with pure delight, her hand never leaving the glass.

"Daddy, it's perfect! It's not too big and it's not too small!" Ava pleaded with Damon. He laughed and bent down to her level, patting the top of her head.

"Hmm, are you sure? There are a lot of other cakes out here that you might like more if you go look around," Damon persuaded. He didn't think Ava could find the perfect cake in just under a minute or two. Her small head rose as she looked around the bakery. It wasn't very big, considering they lived in the small town of Mystic Falls, and her eyes were like sharp vision; pointing things out very clearly.

"I'm sure, Daddy. I already saw all the other cakes and they're not as special as this one," she assured her father. Ava leaned back to gaze at the cake when Damon flagged down the owner and asked for the particular cake. Elena was off looking at other sweets as well when she found two tiny twin-sized containers with red swirly frosted cupcakes and absolutely loved them. She picked them up and held them in each arm before seeing Damon and Ava walking over to her.

"Mommy look, Daddy and I found a cake! Isn't it pretty?" Ava squealed to Elena. Damon stood at the side of his daughter and rolled his eyes at Ava's enthusiasm. They walked over to the counter so they could pay for their desserts and be on their way. After paying for them, Damon placed them in the backseat of the car while Elena was buckling Ava into her car seat.

Damon hopped into the driver's seat of the car as Elena did to the passenger seat and they pulled out of the parking lot, driving off onto the road ahead of them. It had begun to rain as they were driving home, small pellets of rain drops spitting and dropping onto the surface of the windshield. There was a soft melody of music playing from the car, much to Damon's distaste, and Elena turned around to look at her daughter. She was sound asleep leaning her head against the side of her car seat. Elena snapped a picture of her precious daughter and turned back to face the front.

Elena looked over at a peacefully driving Damon and intertwined her hand in his. "Where are we going?" Elena said, not noticing her route they were taking. He looked out his rear view mirror and didn't see a car so he turned his head so his eyes could face hers.

"We're going out for a late lunch. Ava hasn't eaten since breakfast, and neither have you. We're always either eating at home or eating at the café and realistically, we need to get some other type of meals into our systems. Also, it's nice to have a day with you guys without Kol," Damon said. He was grinning but you could see that he really meant it. Though, who would blame him?

"Yeah, you're right; just don't go anywhere fancy because we aren't dressed for that. Though, you do have a point with Kol," Elena sighed. Damon noticed his wife's discomfort and he stroked her cheek with the hand he wasn't driving with. She leaned into his comforting gesture and covered his hand with hers, pulling them from her face slowly and kissing his fingertips with her soft lips.

"What's going on with him?" He asked.

Elena rolled her eyes and sat up straight in her chair, "I don't have a clue. For the past couple of weeks he's been neglecting his responsibilities at home, he's been coming home intoxicated, and he hasn't babysat Ava any of the times that I've asked him to. I don't ask for much from him. I only ask that he keep the basement clean and not bring anyone over.

"Ava's our daughter so yes, I take care of her and so do you. But when I'm working, I can't watch her. And when you're doing council business or you're out doing whatever it is you're doing, you can't watch her. He told me he would babysit when I asked, which by the way is not frequently, yet he doesn't," Elena fumed.

Damon calmly stroked the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand. "Elena, shouldn't he go out and look for his own place?" Damon said but hurriedly put his hand up in defense as Elena sent him a glare.

"Why in the hell would he do that?"

"Because he's over 1000 years old yet he lives in our basement like some teenager who has no future. He should be out exploring the world or something, or if anything buying his own house like the rest of his siblings did," Damon bargained. Elena tore her gaze from Damon to stare out into the rainy foggy mist that was outside of her window.

"I won't kick him out just because he's been acting up for a couple of weeks. Despite what you think, he's really good with Ava and it helps having him around sometimes," she said. They didn't touch on the subject anymore, they just drove in silence. Damon thought more about Kol's moving out because it was something he seriously thought was appropriate but he didn't voice his thoughts because his wife would most definitely have a problem with that.

They drove up to the Grill and parked the car at the side of the street since there were no parking lot spaces available, not that there were many parking spaces in the first place. As Damon put the car in park, he turned around to see his beautiful daughter still peacefully sleeping in the back seat. He smiled at her before looking over at his wife who was turned around in her seat on her knees, her chin was resting on the head rest and Elena was staring at their daughter's beautiful face.

"I can feel you staring at me," Ava said softly. Her eyes were still shut and she was still in the same position as she always was.

"I'm gazing," Elena said.

"It's creepy," Ava chuckled with her little baby laugh and opened her wild blue eyes at Damon. She grinned at was about to jump and throw her arms around Damon's neck but the straps of her care seat held her back with force. She huffed at the contraption she was in and Damon laughed a heartfelt laugh. Elena got out of the car and walked over to her daughter's side door, opening it and taking Ava out of her car seat and onto Elena's hip.

They walked into the Grill like a family and saw a few people that they knew already sitting down at tables. Jeremy and Bonnie were playing pool in the corner, Klaus and Kol were at the bar drinking, and Rebekah and Katherine were playing darts. Elena raised her brow at Katherine, who was playing darts with her mortal enemy. Katherine just smirked at her and threw a dart right in the middle of the dart board, raising her arms thereafter and laughing at Rebekah and her defeat.

Elena put Ava down gently and she ran to her Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jeremy. They beamed as they saw her and Bonnie picked her up, kissing her cheeks like crazy and giving her a squeezing hug. Jeremy was wrapping his arms around the two and kissing Ava on the top of her head.

"Uncle Jeremy I missed you so much," Ava expressed to her uncle. Jeremy laughed and took her into his big and strong arms.

"Oh yeah? How much?" Jeremy asked with much enthusiasm on his face.

Ava threw her arms out wide and she grinned her cute grin with all her perfectly straight teeth, "This much." Jeremy chuckled at his niece's theatrics and kissed her temple before setting her down at the side of the pool table, teaching her how to play pool because after all he is a pool shark.

While Jeremy and Bonnie were watching Ava, Elena and Damon were talking to Stefan and Katherine.

"So, how's my angel?" Katherine said. She was sipping her coffee mug she'd brought from home, though it didn't contain any traces of coffee, just blood. Elena tilted her head to get a view of her precious angel and her brother at the far right side of the Grill playing pool and having a great time.

"She's good, getting bigger and bigger every day," Elena said in awe. Damon nodded in agreement.

Damon flagged down Matt who was over to them in a matter of seconds, "Can I get you guys anything?" said Matt.

Elena looked across the room and locked eyes with her daughter, "What do you want to eat, honey?" Elena asked.

"Chicken strips and fries," Ava squealed. Elena laughed and turned her way to Matt, ordering chicken strips, fries and an apple juice for her daughter and a Caesar salad with water for herself. Though, a disapproving look from Damon caused her to change her drink choice from water to iced tea.

"So, Kat, how is your birthday going?" Elena smirked.

Katherine glared at her doppelganger with fury, "I said not to bring it up!" she spluttered. Stefan and Elena were laughing at Katherine's cold attitude towards her birthday. Elena thought birthdays were special and should be celebrated no matter how old you were, that's what she was always taught and that is what she is currently teaching Ava.

Matt came around with the food soon after and Ava reluctantly left Bonnie and Jeremy to eat with her parents, Stefan and Katherine. She sat at the booth and started taking little bites of her chicken and a couple of fries every so often because she was more interested in playing Temple Run 2.

"Ava, eat your food," Elena said.

Ava rolled her eyes and stuck a fry in her mouth before turning her attention back to the iPad in her lap that Damon let her take from the car.

"This is your fault," Elena glared at Damon.

"My fault, how is it my fault?"

"Because she's more focused on playing with electronics than eating her food."

"She was bored and I can't pull it away from her now, she's getting high scores and she needs to concentrate," Damon said. Ava hadn't looked up at her mother but she could tell Elena was a couple of seconds from cursing at her father so she paused the game and slid the iPad onto the booth seat beside her, resuming her eating.

"Katherine and I are going shopping after we're done at the Grill, I want to spoil her with nice clothes, jewelry and a spa treatment," Stefan smirked. Unbeknownst to Katherine that the reason he was taking her out for all of these things was to keep her out of the house while Elena, Ava and Damon set up for her birthday party.

It wasn't going to be anything big because Katherine hated big parties and disliked a lot of people in Mystic Falls; it was just going to be Elena, Damon, Ava, Stefan, Isobel, Elijah and obviously Katherine.

Katherine smiled at Stefan, "yes pamper me, I love to be pampered," she purred.

As they all started talking about irrelevant things, Bonnie and Jeremy had begun to join them. Jeremy sat with Ava and helped her finish her food, earning a glare from Elena, and helped her with achieving a higher score on Temple Run. Bonnie, however, had different plans. She turned her attention towards Damon and he snapped his attention to her when he felt her piercing eyes on his head.

"Damon, could you help me get some things from my car? Jeremy's too preoccupied with Ava to help and I'm really not in the mood to ask Klaus," Bonnie pleaded. Though, it was obvious to Damon that she had an ulterior motive behind it. He looked around the table and Elena just shrugged and nodded her head at him, not finding this suspicious at all.

"I could help you," said Stefan. Stefan could see Damon was uneasy and it was probably because Bonnie wasn't Damon's biggest fan so she was probably just trying to pull him aside to give him the 'mess with my best friend, I'll kill you' speech.

Bonnie was about to interrupt but Damon slid out of her seat before she could say anything, "Stefan's on a bunny diet, I'm sure I'm much more effective," Damon smirked.

Ava gasped at Damon before turning her attention to Stefan, "Uncle Stefan, you eat bunnies? How could you, they're so cute and cuddly," Ava whispered in horror. Elena rolled her eyes and gave a glare to Damon, _good going, Damon, _she thought.

"No, I don't eat bunnies, sweetie. Daddy's just trying to be funny," Stefan chuckled but you could hear his frustrated tone.

Damon laughed and exited The Grill, walking towards the parked car two streets down from the Grill. "Jesus Bonnie, why do you have to park so far?" Damon groaned. Bonnie then turned around abruptly when they reached her car and Damon stepped back with his hands in the air.

"Look, I'm sorry I left Elena but I don't have to explain myself to you and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't fry my brain because in all honesty I could-" he rambled but was cut off with her putting her hand up for him to stop.

"That's not why I called you out here. I wanted to talk to you about a recurring dream I've been having," Bonnie said worriedly.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Great, psychoanalysis 101. Listen, Bonnie, I'm not Sigmund Freud. I can't help you with the traumas of your unconscious mind."

"Shut up, Damon. They're visions, and they're of you and Elena," Bonnie said with an uneasy tone. This caught Damon's attention and his eyes narrowed into slits, urging her to continue. Bonnie gulped and closed her eyes as she forced herself to think of the nightmares she has been having of her best friend.

"There's a man, he's got Elena and I can't see where. I don't understand him; he's talking about a tree. He's got back up and they're surrounding her. I have a really bad vibe about this, Damon," Bonnie says in a low and scared tone. She grabs his arm and her eyes shoot wide open like saucers. "Damon, it's only the beginning. It's only going to get worse from here," she cries.

Damon grabs Bonnie's face in an attempt to take her back from where she is and calm her down. "Bonnie, damnit, look at me!" he said.

Bonnie's eyes blink a few times and she cocks her head to the side, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get out of control, I just... I'm really scared, Damon."

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine. I won't let anything happen to my wife. But I have this note that I need you to look at," Damon said. He pulls out the note that was thrown through the window the other day and hands it to her.

Bonnie takes the note in her hands and immediately snaps her head up to Damon's, "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Someone threw it at my window two weeks ago," he said, his head looking around to see if anyone was watching them.

"It's the same negative energy I was feeling when I was having those nightmares. Whoever sent this is about to wreak havoc in your world; it's so overwhelming," she said.

Damon rolls his eyes, he doesn't believe that anyone is going to ruin his family. They'd have to kill him first. "What can you do about this?" He asked.

"I can try to do a spell to find out whose this is, but it will be tricky. I've been practicing a new kind of magic called expression and even with the powers of the witches at my disposal, it won't be easy. But I can do it for you; it'll just take some time, I should have your results in a couple of days," she says.

He was about to walk off when Bonnie called for him, he turned around and his eyes met hers.

"This is just the beginning, Damon," she said.

* * *

><p>"<em>But I have this note you need to look at…someone threw it at my window."<em>

"_Same negative energy...new kind of magic called expression…results in a couple of days…this is just the beginning."_

Ava shivered when she heard the last of her aunt and her dad talking about this. She was worried that someone was going to try and hurt her family and she didn't know how to stop them. She overheard her mom and dad talking once about how she was one of the strongest ones in the family and she was so young.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing outside?" Kol asked, his head tilting in confusion. Ava nervously looked down and ran into Kol's arms, taking him by surprise. "It's not that I don't think you're adorable, because you are, but why are you so affectionate right now?" he chuckled.

She didn't answer him; she just tightened her arms around his neck and shivered a little more. He pulled back slightly and looked at her with worrisome and concerned eyes, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kol, can we go get some ice cream. I don't want to talk about it here, someone might hear us," she said as she looked around cautiously.

Kol nodded, "but we have to tell your mom first," he says.

They walked into the Grill and found Elena and Katherine playing darts and having a good time and Kol was thankful because this way they would be less likely to notice Ava's uneasiness.

"Hey, Elena? Can I take Ava across the street for some ice cream? I've missed the little munchkin," he smirks. Elena doesn't even turn around to fully acknowledge them; she trusts Kol a lot and knows nothing would ever happen to Ava when he was around.

When they were successfully at the Dairy Queen down the road, Kol orders Ava a one scoop cookie dough cone with sprinkles and hands it to her. "Okay, you have your ice cream, now spill," he said as they sat at one of the outdoor tables.

Ava takes the first lick of her ice cream before she starts, "I overheard Daddy talking to Aunt Bonnie about something."

Before long, Ava recites the whole conversation Bonnie and Damon had.

Kol's eyebrows furrow together and Ava looks down at the ground. "I wasn't supposed to be listening. I was just trying to see if Daddy wanted to go get ice cream with me but then I was listening in and I forgot how long I was doing it until you came outside. Please don't tell Daddy I told you, he'll be so mad at me," her eyes sparkled with tears.

Kol's heart broke at the sight of an upset Ava so he reached across the table and stroked her cheek. "I won't tell him, but he won't be mad at you. You're just a kid; he can't get that upset with you. You're a little mini Damon, he probably did the same things when he was little too," he smiled.

"Thanks Kol, I'm sorry for being bad. I promise to try my hardest to be a good girl next time," she smiled.

They get back to the Grill just as Elena and Damon were grabbing their coats, "I'm here to return your daughter," Kol smirked. Ava rolls her eyes and runs straight into Damon's arms with a big smile on her face, leaning her head into the crook of his neck.

"Are you tired, Honey?" Elena asks Ava.

"Yes," Ava and Damon say simultaneously. Elena laughed and bumped Damon's shoulder with her own as he chuckles.

"Well that's too bad for you because while our precious princess is sleeping, you'll be helping me decorate," Elena says devilishly to Damon. He wiggles his eyebrows at her and pecks her lips softly before taking a half-asleep Ava to the car to strap her in. Leaving Elena with Kol because he knows she wants to talk to him about what's been going on the past few weeks.

Kol looks back at Damon then to Elena, "There's something I have to talk to you about," they say at the same time. Elena chuckles and shakes her head.

"I go first," Kol interrupts. Elena rolls her eyes at Kol and nods for him to continue.

"Ava told me that she overheard Damon and your witch friend talking about Damon getting a note a few weeks ago, bonnie says she's getting a really bad vibe about it and she's worried about your safety. I don't care if Damon wants to keep this from you because you guys can sort out your love life on your own but I refuse to stand by in the dark while a witch is contemplating Ava's safety," he looks at Elena sternly.

Elena's eyes narrow into slits, "She's my daughter, Kol. I can keep her safe; it's my job to do that not yours. Thank you for telling me though. Don't forget that I'll be at the boarding house for Katherine's birthday party so I'm not sure when I'll be home," Elena spluttered before joining Damon outside in the car.

She couldn't even look at him, keeping this secret from her for two weeks and telling only Bonnie? If this was about her family's safety then she had a right to know. It was ridiculous that Ava and Kol had to find out before she did. They were husband and wife, they had taken vows to tell each other the truth and never keep things from each other.

When they were about half way home Damon had looked over at his wife who seemed to be agitated at him, when he put his hand on her leg to try to alleviate the stress, she turned her head out the window and never looked at him again. No one spoke the whole car ride home.

When they drove into the boarding house driveway, Elena hopped out of the car and unbuckled Ava as quickly and gently as she could because Ava was sleeping. She walked in through the door and put her purse down on the chair in the entrance way, making her way up the stairs and laying her sleeping daughter on Damon's spacious bed.

She sat with her daughter for a couple of minutes while Damon brought in all the party decorations and things. She was stroking Ava's hair softly before she heard footsteps coming upstairs and saw Damon leaning against the doorway with a small smile on his face.

"I've always wanted a daughter," he said. "My mom always told me that if I were going to give her grandchildren, I would have to give her a granddaughter because she didn't have any daughters," he smiled. His lips lifting upwards in the corners in a way that made Elena's heart want to burst with love.

"Well, I'm sure your mother would be very happy with you," Elena said with a low voice. _Even though I'm not very happy with you,_ she thought.

He nodded thankfully, "Let's set up while she's sleeping so we have the chance to get everything done," he pleaded.

She rose from the bed and walked over to the door, slightly brushing her shoulder on his on her way out. When she made it down the stairs, she grabbed the dark red streamers and tape from the living room and started hanging them on the ceiling. When she was done, she smelt the delicious aroma of food coming from the kitchen and felt compelled to check it out.

That's when she saw Damon hovering over the stove humming to Hey Jude by The Beatles. She smiled as she saw his hard work in trying to make a good dinner for Katherine's birthday. She coughed awkwardly to gain his attention and he stopped humming to look over his shoulder to see her staring at him.

He smirked at her and grabbed two glasses, poured red wine into both and handed one to her. "My lady," he said while wiggling his eyebrows at her. She took it and sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me, Damon?"

His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head in confusion, "About what?" he asked.

"About the note you got two weeks ago, the possibility that we might be in danger?" she asked.

That right there made Damon freeze like a deer caught on headlights, "Bonnie told you?"

"No, Kol told me. You'll never guess how Kol found out," she said while knocking back the rest of her wine and setting the glass down.

"He overheard Bonnie and I talking at her car? Doesn't that kid know how to stick his nose into his own business," Damon said with disgust.

Elena glared at her husband before pouring herself another glass of wine, "Actually, it was brought to his attention; by your daughter. She overheard you talking to Bonnie about it and she was really scared so she went to go talk to Kol about it. Damon, what were you thinking," she said. Her head shaking as she massaged her temples with her left hand.

"How was I supposed to know that she was around, there was a reason we left the Grill. We didn't want anyone to overhear us. I'm sorry I didn't think my daughter would eavesdrop on my conversation. Why weren't you watching her in the first place, if she was inside of the Grill with you then she wouldn't have heard me," he said. He turned his back to her and went back to cooking.

"So now this is my fault? I don't care that she found out, I'm upset that it took me two weeks to find out from someone who wasn't you," Elena scolded.

"I didn't know how to tell you, I didn't think it was a big deal until Bonnie and I talked today."

"You're ridiculous. You took vows not to keep things from me and that's exactly what you did, Damon," she said angrily.

"What do you want me to say, Elena? That I'm sorry I kept it from you? Well, I won't because I'm not. If I had told you then you would have been worried and you would have been irrational for nothing. Nothing has happened these past couple of weeks and Bonnie is trying to work on a spell to find whoever left the note and we'll find them. You're overreacting," Damon said, trying to rationalize.

"You know what, Damon? Screw this. I'm not looking for an apology I'm just asking you not to keep things from me, but obviously that doesn't work with you. Talk to me when you're ready to accept that," Elena huffed and set her glass down. She walked over to the living room to finish setting up and decorating.

Not long after, Elena had the whole living room finished. There were dark red streamers on the ceiling twirling from the chandelier to the four corners of the room. The medium sized red velvet cake they bought from the bakery was covered in a black and white fondant. The words 'Happy Birthday Katherine' in a professional handwriting, courtesy of Elena, was done with a red icing. There were two open containers of chocolate cupcakes with red icing swirls and Oreo pieces sprinkled on the top. There were also a small stack of presents on the coffee table for Katherine.

There were dark red and black balloons in various places that were bought for 38th birthday parties but Elena put a 5 in front of them. Katherine was turned in 1492 when she was 18 so Elena brought it upon herself to do the math to figure out Katherine's actual age of 538.

Elena smiled as she saw her masterpiece and went upstairs with her bag to change and get ready.

After shaving and showering, Elena dried herself off with one of the towels on Damon's counter and wrapped a robe around her. She walked over to her bag and pulled out her cosmetics, applying light make up to her olive toned face. She blow dried her hair until her hair was completely dry and curled her hair it until her whole head was completed with waves.

She walked on over to her bag on the bed where her daughter was still sleeping and pulled out her clothes for tonight. She was wearing her favorite straight flow burgundy red one shoulder chiffon dress that reached just about three fingers above the knee. The dress was completed with a soft and thin brown belt that looped around the midsection.

Just as Elena was putting the finishing touches on her clothes, Ava was waking up.

"Mommy?"

Elena looked at the face of her beautiful daughter and couldn't help but walk over to her and place small kisses to her soft forehead. "Hi sweetheart, you should get ready. Aunt Katherine should be here soon and we want to be ready to surprise her," Elena said softly.

Ava's eyes twinkled at the name of her favorite aunt and she vamp sped to Damon's open ensuite bathroom to use the facilities while Elena took out her clothes and laid it on the bed for her. She'd brought Ava's white on black long sleeve lace dress with a black collar and her favorite pair of black stockings. Elena combed out Ava's thick and long silky straight hair and pulled it into a pony tail before softly brushing out the ends.

Once they were done getting ready, Ava and Elena walked downstairs to see Damon setting the table. Damon hadn't looked up at his wife or daughter yet but he knew they were there.

"Dinner should be ready in a couple of minutes, I'm just keeping it on the stove and in the oven to keep it warm for when everyone gets here," he said. He turned around and saw that his girls were all ready for tonight. He couldn't take his eyes off of Elena, she was stunning. Her olive toned legs a mile long in that red dress she was wearing.

"What's for dinner?" Ava smiled.

Damon smirked down at his daughter and pulled her into his arms before picking her up. "We're having Caesar salad, fettuccine alfredo with parmesan crusted chicken and garlic bread. How does that sound?" He asked.

"Yummy Daddy, but Mommy makes the best fettuccine alfredo," Ava smirked.

Damon rolled his eyes and kissed his daughter's forehead before setting her on the ground, "That's because you haven't tried mine. It's to die for," he said, wriggling his eyebrows. He looked over at Elena and looked her up and down appreciatively, "You look stunning, baby," he smiled genuinely.

Elena smiled back and kissed him softly before speaking. "You should go upstairs and get ready, they should be here soon."

* * *

><p>Damon came down the stairs wearing a white long sleeve button down dress shirt that was perfectly tucked into his black Armani dress pants. His black hair was dry and slightly ruffled and his face was growing a small amount of stubble, bringing out his incredibly blue eyes.<p>

"Daddy, I can hear them coming. Aunt Katherine and Uncle Stefan are in the car down the street, go put food on the table and turn all the lights off so we can surprise her!" Ava squealed. Damon vamp sped to the kitchen to put all the food on the dining room table while Elena and Katherine hid in the living room with all the lights off. Just as Damon blurred to his family, Katherine and Stefan were unlocking the door.

"Stefan, I'm a little disappointed. I really wanted to go to that restaurant just outside of town," Katherine huffed as she walked in, chucking her purse to the chair by the door.

Just as they closed the door, Damon turned on all the lights.

"Surprise!" They all yelled, catching Katherine off guard.

Katherine looked around to see her favorite family in the beautifully decorated living room; it was absolutely breath taking. She vamp sped over to Elena, knowing she did all the work, and tackled her with a big hug. Elena laughed and hugged her just as tight, if not tighter. Katherine pulled back a little and looked around the room in awe and gulped.

"You did this all for me?" Katherine's lip quivered. All Elena did was nod and Katherine smiled the most genuine smile Elena's received since the day Elena gave birth to Ava with Katherine in the room.

"Happy Birthday Aunt Katherine," Ava squealed.

Katherine looked over at her niece and picked her up, placing small butterfly kisses all around her face and ending with a slow Eskimo kiss. "Thanks sweetheart," Katherine said.

They moved the party towards the dining room where all the food was being served and Katherine smirked at Stefan, "I take it back, I would choose this over the restaurant outside of town any day."

They ate and talked about the day, leaving out Damon's encounter with Bonnie, and surprising enough everyone had a really good time. They were all giving their compliments to Damon about his marvelous cooking skills, with the exception of Ava who still thought her mother's cooking was better. Just as Damon and Stefan were putting the dishes away, Katherine, Ava, and Elena went over to the living room.

"Ava, don't eat the cupcakes until everyone's here," Elena scolded.

Just as Ava went to put it back, Katherine put her hand up, "Birthday girl makes the rules, and I say she can have the cupcake. Go on honey," Katherine allowed. Elena glared at Katherine and rolled her eyes as Damon and Stefan made their way to the living room, plopping down on the couch.

Elena lit the 5 3 and 8 candles on the cake and all together they sang happy birthday to Katherine and she blew out her candles, cutting the cake and handing everyone their pieces. As everyone was eating, Katherine thought it necessary to say a few words.

"I want to thank you guys for coming, seriously. I haven't celebrated a birthday with family in centuries and I'm so happy to be spending it with you all," Katherine smiled genuinely.

"Aw, I've never heard you sound so sincere," Damon said sarcastically. Earning glares from everyone.

"I take that back, I'm glad I have everyone here on my birthday, but you," Katherine grinned.

After everyone was done eating their cake, Ava got a little too anxious to wait for gift openings. "You've got presents to open," Ava said.

Katherine pulled the first wrapped item into her arms and she smirked, a present from Bonnie and Jeremy. Katherine had never actually been close with Bonnie but over the years, she was starting to warm up to the idea of Jeremy being family. After all, he was Elena's brother. Bonnie was a packaged deal. She opened it and it was a Pandora bracelet with a separate charm in the box, a vampire fang. She laughed and shook her head.

"From witchy and Jeremy, it's a Pandora bracelet and a vampire fang charm. That punk," Katherine said.

She opened the next present, it was from Elijah and Isobel. Before she could open it, Elena spoke.

"They were supposed to be here tonight but mom was busy with research and Elijah was helping her," Elena apologized. Katherine shrugged and continued opening the present.

It was an old leather bound book, she opened it and her eyes went as wide as saucers at its content.

"It's an old book from Elijah and Isobel, it contains all the details about my family," Katherine whispered. She ran her fingers over the papers before smiling and putting it beside her. She grabbed the second last present and pulled it into her lap. She tore gently at the messily wrapped gift, knowing it was from Ava, and pulled it out.

It was a framed picture of Katherine and Ava at the park; they were smiling brightly, showing their bright white teeth under the summer sunlight from two years ago when Katherine went to visit Elena and Ava in New York.

Katherine looked beside her at Ava and kissed her forehead, "I love it, thank you sweetie," Katherine said.

She pulled the last present out, from Elena and Damon, and lifted the lid of the box; in it was a brown Versace dress with a pair of Versace sunglasses and black 6 inch Louis Vuitton heels. She looked up at Elena, her mouth hanging a little open.

"This dress doesn't come out until next year, and neither do these heels. These sunglasses are only supposed to be here available for pre-ordering in six months, how did you get them?" Katherine gaped.

"I know people who know people, it wasn't a big deal," Elena smiled. Katherine wasn't going to ask about the price because she knew Elena and Damon had plenty for it but Katherine was baffled that she was able to get this. She was planning on compelling someone to release it in a few months but now she didn't have to.

"Thank you so much," Katherine smiled at them. They smiled back but thought nothing of it, Katherine was practically their sister. Elena would do anything for her and Damon would too.

They began talking about boring and irrelevant things when Ava's light breathing became noticeable to Damon.

"We should probably head home, Ava's already sleeping," Damon said to Elena. Elena looked over and saw her precious daughter leaning her head on the arm rest of the couch, completely drained from the day and from the boring conversation the adults were having.

They got up to put on their coats and shoes while Katherine gently dressed Ava in her black leather jacket, ear muffs that she'd came in, and her boots before handing her to Elena's arms. "Thank you guys for coming, it was a great birthday party," Katherine thanked while leaning her head onto Stefan's shoulder.

"Anytime, Kat. We'll see you guys soon," Elena smiled as they descended down the driveway and into Elena's car. Elena buckled Ava into the car seat, gently as she didn't want to wake her. She got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt as Damon started driving away. They hadn't made up yet but they weren't exactly upset with each other anymore.

Elena wanted Damon to apologize from keeping things from her but she understood that Damon was trying to protect her and his family, she couldn't argue much with that.

They drove into the driveway and Damon parked Elena's car into the garage. As Elena got out of the car, Damon took Ava out of the car and into his arms. He kissed Ava's forehead as Ava tightened her arms around his neck. Elena closed the garage and unlocked the door that lead to the side of the house, opening it for Damon to get in.

"Can you tuck her in? I'm going to check if Kol is home yet," Elena asked softly.

"Sure," Damon smiled and walked with his sleeping daughter in his arms up the stairs.

Elena walked downstairs to the basement but there was no sign of Kol anywhere. She opened the light to his room and smiled brightly when she saw that it was spotless from top to bottom with clean sheets and dusted furniture. Though, Kol wasn't in the room and it looked like he hadn't been there for a while. As she was leaving the room, she saw that there was a big black garbage bag by the stairwell.

_He cleaned the basement like I asked him, the least I can do is take out the trash, _she thought. She grabbed the bag and pulled it up into her arms before carefully watching her step and going up the stairs. Once at the top step, she walked over to the front door and unlocked it, stepping outside and putting the garbage bag in the trash at the end of the driveway.

She shivered slightly from the cold hair and tightened the jacket she was wearing around her torso. Elena pulled out her phone and searched through her contacts list to find Kol's number. Though, when she called it went to voice mail twice. She sighed was about to put her phone in her pocket when it tapped loudly against the ring on her finger; her wedding ring.

She looked down at it and frowned, thinking of her earlier conversation with Damon. He'd been acting so selfish at first, holding things from her. She pulled the ring off of her finger to examine it and that's when she saw the engraving in it. _I will always choose you._

Her heart exploded with love at that moment and she realized that they were in this together. No matter what he did, he would always choose her and do right by her, and of course her daughter. She wasn't going to let a small fight like this let her go to bed upset at him tonight. She was going to march into the house and tell her husband how much she loved him and how much he meant to her.

But as she was going to walk up the driveway, she didn't hear what she should have. All she felt was a hand on her mouth and a strong being run with her out of the vicinity of her home at the speed of light.

* * *

><p>Damon smiled down at his daughter; she was in her pink strawberry shortcake pajamas snuggling up to her favorite bear. He kissed her forehead and whispered a goodnight before closing the door to Ava's room and walking down the stairs to the spacious living room. A living room where he didn't see his wife. His eyes searched around the lower level in an attempt to find her but when he couldn't see her, or hear a heartbeat other than his daughter's, he got worried. He vamp sped to the basement but couldn't find her.<p>

Damon raced outside to frantically check around for his wife, "Elena?" He called out. Though, there was no answer. All that he saw was a twinkle of light being reflected on the ground. He race to the bottom of the driveway and saw Elena's phone and wedding ring on the cold hard ground.

He bent down and gently picked up the wedding ring. "Elena," Damon whispered. His fears from when he was talking to Bonnie earlier in the day and her words were ringing in his ear.

_This is just the beginning, Damon._

* * *

><p><em>So, it's been a while guys! I haven't uploaded in a long time, sigh. But, if it makes you feel any better, I updated my planning list for this story so I'm more interested in it and feel more motivated to update more often.<em>

_Let me also start off by saying thank you for all of those reviews last chapter, wow, it blew my mind. If you guys would like me to start posting public replies to your reviews in my author's note, please let me know because I'd be more than happy to take the time out of my day to write back to you. If you just want me to reply back then I'll pm you and let you know how wonderful you are and give you my gratitude for reviewing. Though, I'm sure this will benefit the anon readers._

_Anyway, I thought that because you guys were so patient with me through this hiatus if you will, I want to give you a little **spoilers for upcoming chapters**. There is going to be more Damon and Elena fluffiness though there will be many serious moments because this is where the plot of the story starts to develop. I've introduced the main characters enough so I'd like to just get into the plot now._

_There is going to be some heart wrenching scenes up coming in a couple of chapters, may even be the next chapter depending on how you look at it. Also, there are going to be few to several new characters coming up, not all for the good._

_Family history is coming up that will just blow your minds!_

_As always though, I'd love for you to drop me a review and tell me how you thought this chapter was. Are you excited for the upcoming plot? Who do you think I'm going to introduce as a new character? Better yet, whose family history is going to blow your minds? Let me know, I can't wait to hear your thoughts. The most creative answers are going to get a personal shout outs in my next chapter's AN. So remember, read and review! And thank you to my story followers, favorites and alerters (if that's even a word), you mean a lot to me!_

_Enough babbling._

_Feedback is love, people_


	6. New Findings

_**Story**__: Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter**__: New Findings_

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own The Vampire Diaries or its sexy characters but I do own this story and additional characters and that's damn good enough_

* * *

><p>It was just a blur; there were no concrete surroundings at this point. The wind was blowing through Elena's hair just as the drier from a car wash would to a dripping wet SUV. As she was placed down on the hard dirt ground, her eyes surveyed her surroundings looking for a way out.<p>

"Don't even bother; no one's going to find you here."

Elena whipped her head around to look into the face of her capturer; he had brown hair and very pale looking skin. He was staring at her with a look in his eyes that made Elena very uncomfortable; he had a mixture of lust and sheer smugness in his eyes. Just as she was about to speak up about the current situation, a man with short blonde hair and emerald green eyes emerged from the shadows.

"Were you followed?" The blonde haired man said to her capturer.

"No sir, I was quick and slick. I'm positive no one followed me," said the capturer. His had skin so light he was border line Albino.

"Did you tell anyone you were taking her or your plans to meet with me tonight?"

"No, everyone thinks I've went out of town to hunt," the capturer assured the blonde.

"Good."

Though, it wasn't too long until the blonde man produced a stake from under his sleeve and lodged it right into the heart of the other man. Elena screamed and turned her head, not wanting her eyes to see the horror of what just happened in front of her. Sure, she had her fair share of witnessing death having been around the supernatural family for so long but it still caused her blood pressure to spike when things like this happened.

He lifted his shirt off his head and Elena's mind was racing from speculation of what she was here for; she's watched a lot of Law and Order SVU. "What do you want from me?" Elena asked. Her face remaining stoic as her defense mechanism shot up but Elena could feel her heart beating in her chest out of sheer anxiety. She wanted to go home; she wanted to be with her daughter and her husband.

"Oh don't you worry, I have no intention of harming you. Yet," he said.

He looked down at his right arm and saw the ink that once held a large amount of a tattoo finally liquefy under his skin and lift upwards, creating a bigger tattoo. Once it stopped around his shoulder blades, the tattoo remained perfectly intact. He looked over at Elena's face, her face in pure wonder and shock at the ink on his arm. It was ridiculous and inhuman of a tattoo to do that.

"You can see it, can't you?" he said.

"Well yeah I can see it; I mean it just transformed into this huge tree," she exclaimed.

His eyes widened and he stared at Elena with determination. "Why am I here? Who are you?" she asked.

He lifted his discarded long sleeve shirt onto his head and put his arms through the sleeve holes, completing his look with fingerless gloves that smelt like they were laced with vervain. Once satisfied with his completed look, he answered her. "My name's Maddox and you're here because I've got something to say and you're going to shut up and listen," he said calmly. She nodded for him to go on.

"This tattoo, you said it looks like a tree," his voice looking for clarification. She nodded and he continued, "It's the Ligno Vitae. That's Latin for 'Tree of Life' and this tattoo is a map that decodes its way to the tree. That and no one has ever seen the Tree of Life so this tattoo will tell us exactly what it looks like," he said.

Elena cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Those are some great historical facts right there, but why are you telling me this. I know nothing about this tree and neither do any of my friends, I can't help you," she said. "Why do you need to get this tree anyway?" she asked.

"I don't need your help, you silly little girl. I'm telling you this so you can warn your family and friends that danger is fast approaching," Maddox said sternly.

"Danger?" she asked, "What danger? Danger to whom?" she asked.

"To the one they call Ava Salvatore, your daughter."

* * *

><p>Damon was pacing around the vicinity of the house trying to find Elena while still being able to keep a close ear on Ava just in case anything happened to her. When it was remotely clear that he wouldn't find her around the house, he blurred back into his room to call Bonnie.<p>

"What do you want, Damon? It's the middle of the night," Bonnie snarled, damn him for ruining her sleep.

"I'm sorry for ruining your beauty sleep, witch. But my wife is gone and I need you to find her," Damon demanded.

He heard a rattle on the other end and Bonnie's voice lost its grogginess. "Elena's gone?"

"I'm not married to anyone else the last time I checked. Stop asking stupid questions and do the damn locator spell or so help me God-" He started before Bonnie cut him off.

"Shut up for a second. Run over here and give me a hair brush or something of Elena's and I'll do the locator spell," She said.

"No, I've got Ava and she's sleeping. You're going to have to come over and do it here."

"Damnit Damon, Jeremy's gone to a bar in Richmond with Alaric and he took my car with him. I'm a witch not Speedy Gonzales, I can't run my ass over there in record time," she seethed.

Just as Damon was about to say something back, he heard the sound of the side door being crept open. "Bonnie, I'll have to call you back," he said. He ran so fast to the basement that he thought he literally had teleported or zapped. There lay Kol half sprawled on the couch and floor with a bottle of bourbon in his hand, more specifically, Damon's bourbon.

"Of all the dumbass things you've done, Kol," Damon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm trying to have a good time, Mate. You should try it sometime," Kol joked.

Damon's eyes burned in their sockets, "I don't have time for this, Elena's missing and someone took her. I need you to either watch Ava while I go to Bonnie's to give her some possessions of Elena's or-"

"I'll deliver the items to Bonnie, stay here with Ava," Kol interrupted. Just before Damon could question him; Kol blurred out of sight. For once, Damon actually listened. For it was his wife that was in danger and he would do anything to get her back, that includes sucking up his pride and doing what he was being told.

Damon snuck into his daughter's bedroom and let out a sigh of relief, a breath that was unnecessarily being held in considering he was a vampire and didn't need the air.

She was sleeping soundly and his heart ached at the beautiful sight. He transferred himself to the rocking chair at the corner of the room and watched his daughter sleep through the light being shone through the room from the moon. He couldn't help but worry about Elena, but being in the proximity of his innocent and naïve daughter made him a little less anxious. He couldn't be going crazy and searching for Elena while trying to keep a brave face for Ava.

So he sat there watching her sleep, praying that Bonnie would get back to him ASAP.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean?" Elena asked.<p>

Truth be told, she was petrified at the possibility of someone causing harm to her daughter. He looked at her and sighed before shaking his head, "Your daughter is the offspring of a vampire and a doppelganger, no? She's needed in the ritual," said Maddox.

Elena felt her body tremble with anxiety and anger; her daughter was not going to be thrown into a supernatural realm of rituals and sacrifices like she had been introduced to. She wouldn't allow it and no one would dare try for fear of Damon and the rest of the supernatural beings in Mystic Falls bringing such terror by the mere thought of precious Ava being in harm's way.

"What ritual, what are you talking about?" Elena spat.

He sat cross legged in front of her and smoothed out the dirt between them with the palm of his left hand, picking up the nearest twig with is right hand. He drew a tree with the ragged end of the sticky and then drew a large box beside it, the vines of the tree connecting with it. "This tree is the Ligno Vitae. Legend has it that it's the tree that reaches through to The Other Side."

"The Other Side is where all the supernatural beings are being kept, right? Like dead vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, that sort?" Elena asked, trying to understand what he was doing.

"Yes, doppelgangers, hunters, hybrids, vampires and werewolves are all destined to perish on The Other Side and live a life of torture. All immortal creatures will be punished there because it is a place ruled by witches and their hatred for the supernatural for having a more than fair advantage while living on earth. Immortality, special circumstances like speed and agility, anything non-human," said Maddox.

"So what does the tree do?" She asked.

Maddox then drew a cloud on the top right corner above the tree, vines connecting to it too. "This tree is the gateway to freedom for all supernatural beings on earth. Once the tree is activated, every supernatural being will come across to this tree to drop a significant amount of their blood in the surrounding soil. This way, once they die they won't be stuck in misery for eternity; they'll be free."

Elena was mesmerized by this tree; it could do wonders for the supernatural community, her being among them. Then she remembered Maddox saying something about her daughter in a ritual and that snapped her back to reality.

"And where or how does my daughter fit into this?" Elena whispered.

Maddox closed his eyes and grasped the crucifix hanging around his neck in a golden chain, "She's needed in the sacrifice."

Elena's eyes blazed with anger and fear, she couldn't believe he would say that to her. "No, she's not a pawn in your silly games. You stay the hell away from my daughter or I'll kill you myself," she said. No one was going to touch a hair on her baby's head, not if she had anything to do about it. She was only three for Christ's sake.

Maddox's eyes softened for a split second before turning stoic again. "You think I'm the one calling the shots? If it were up to me then the supernatural creatures that roam this planet would suffer an eternity on The Other Side. I'm just as much a pawn in this fucking game as your daughter. They're using me to find the damn tree and then they'll kill me," he spat.

"We'll protect you if you stay on our side, we won't let anyone hurt you if you just tell me everything you know," Elena pleaded with her soft and doe-like eyes.

"You can't protect me, no one can. I'm as good as dead and you know it. They killed my family, I have no one. Once they get the tree then I'll drop my own blood and kill myself if they don't," he glared at her.

Then she understood him, he wanted to die. He didn't care about anyone at the moment; just his family. She could sympathize with him too because if it came down to it, she'd do anything for her family. Once they were gone, she'd have nothing to live for.

"Then why are you telling me any of this?" Elena asked shakily.

"I'm trying to warn you about the danger that's coming to you and your family, Elena. I never got the chance to protect my family, now's your chance to protect yours."

* * *

><p>Kol raced from the house with a bag full of Elena's belongings and over to Bonnie's house. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to Elena while he was out partying and drinking the night away. He should have been home and he should have picked up the phone the first time Elena tried to call him. He should have been there for them, but he was selfish and was having fun at the expense of his best friend's life.<p>

Once he reached Bonnie's front door, Bonnie felt his presence and invited him inside. She knew he would never harm her, or cause harm to her family. He dropped the bag of things on the coffee table and paced around the room nervously.

"Could you stop pacing, I'm trying to concentrate," Bonnie glared.

"Do your job and shut up, witch," Kol spoke with a heavily emotional voice.

Bonnie backed off, she knew better than to piss of an Original. She spread out the candles and cut out the lights, putting Elena's hairbrush on a silk cloth next to a global map on the coffee table. She closed her eyes and started to chant in a low voice. Before long, Kol watched on as Bonnie's spell had started a fire to the map until it disintegrated.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

Bonnie shook her head and Kol was about to speak before she raised her hand and shut his mouth for him, she'd had enough of his speaking for one night. "It won't let me do a locator spell from the power of the witches on The Other Side; maybe they're just not in the mood to help me right now. I've been practising a type of magic, called expression, I'd like to try it out and see if it can lead to Elena," Bonnie said to Kol. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the brush she'd been using to direct her.

As Kol began to anxiously look around the room, his eyes lit up at the small trail of fire that was going from the living room and out the front door. "Bonnie-"

She opened her eyes immediately and saw the trail; it was leading out the door and into the woods. After every step Kol took, the fire behind him burnt out as if there were no trail to begin with. It was remarkable. Bonnie picked up her phone and dialed Damon's number.

"Yeah?" she heard on the other end.

"We've found her."

* * *

><p>Damon gently but quickly picked up his sleeping daughter from her bed and she snuggled into his chest. He knew that had she not known the familiar scent, she would have definitely woken up. Though, she knew it was Damon. She took comfort in her father's strong arms wrapping around her. As she dozed off again, Damon put Ava in the backseat of his car and drove over to Bonnie's safe and soundly.<p>

When they reached Bonnie's driveway, Damon got out of the car to unbuckle his daughter and wrap her in the blanket. "Daddy, why are we at Aunt Bonnie's house? Where's Mommy?" Ava asked tiredly.

"Mommy's out and I have to go pick her up so you're going to have to stay with Aunt Bonnie for a little while so she can watch you while we're gone," Damon assured her.

Ava's eyes shot open, "Where's Mommy? She never leaves without saying goodbye or giving me a kiss."

This made Damon's heart crumble, how do you tell your three year old daughter that her mom, your wife, is missing? He ignored her question and began to walk up Bonnie's driveway. Just as he was about to knock on the front door, Kol and Bonnie opened the door. Kol passed him on his way out and Damon handed Ava to Bonnie, even though Ava tried her best to cling to him.

"Baby, I have to go get Mommy so you have to stay with Aunt Bonnie until we come back," Damon pleaded with his daughter to comply. Ava frowned but surrendered, allowing Damon to give her a kiss goodbye before Aunt Bonnie closed the door softly.

Bonnie brought Ava to the spare bedroom in the house but Ava quickly refused because she wasn't tired anymore. Bonnie knew it had to do with Ava's longing to be with Elena. No matter if Ava had Damon, she would always need Elena. She's been with Elena every day since birth and they've never been apart for more than just a few hours.

Ava curled into a ball onto the couch and a tear escaped her eye, alarming Bonnie. "What's the matter, baby girl?" she asked.

"I miss my mom," Ava whispered.

Bonnie's hand flew to her heart as she was trying to hold back sobs of her own. She knew her best friend would make a great mother ever since they were little. Elena had that maternal side of her that shone brighter than most of her qualities. She had seen it when they were kids and Elena would always pretend play the mom of Caroline and Bonnie. She'd seen it when they were about thirteen and started their own babysitting jobs, babysitting people's kids around town. She'd seen it when she tried to put those she loves before her and protected them no matter what, like a primal mother bear protecting her cubs.

Now, she sees it with the way Elena is with her own daughter. She is protective, kind, nurturing and most of all, loving. Ava's sadness and longing for her mother shows that Elena is doing her job correctly. Bonnie wrapped her niece in her arms and placed a gentle kiss on Ava's forehead.

"She'll be here soon, I promise."

* * *

><p>"How does this ritual work?" Elena asked in a hushed tone.<p>

Maddox looked into Elena's doe eyes and debated whether responding, though thought it would be better if did. "It needs to be activated to work. Though, the only way to activate the Ligno Vitae is through a three-part sacrifice. This must be performed by a witch who has tapped into expression because it requires dark magic to stop the nature of the witches. You'll need a Bennett witch because it is the direct bloodline of the first witch," he said.

"Why do they need my daughter?"

"To complete the ritual you need three different hybrids, a werewolf/vampire, a doppelganger/werewolf and a vampire/doppelganger. You need three different mixtures to bring the tree to life because it will combine the power of all three supernatural beings. Through the sacrifice, their blood must be mixed together to overpower the spell that made the tree dormant," Maddox informed her.

Maddox started to move over to the other side of the room to throw on his overcoat. He looked at Elena for the last time and half smiled, "Be careful Elena, and whatever you do, protect your family. I'll be in touch once I find out more," he said.

Just as Elena was going to run after him, he vanished into thin air. Elena looked around the gloomy cave and shivered as she tried to find her way out. It was almost impossible, it was like a maze. She was jumping over logs and ducking under spider webs when she found the opening of the cave. Elena sighed, letting out a breath of relief and ran towards it only to collide into another body.

"Elena?"

She looked up and saw Damon holding her in his outstretched arms. Her eyes teared up as she thought about the last time she saw him, how she was arguing with him and wasn't speaking to him. She hugged him closed to her body and let a tear roll down her cheek. Elena inhaled Damon's scent of bourbon and his Molton Brown Re-Charge Black Pepper Bodywash; she'd remember this scent forever.

"I'm so happy to see you," Elena whispered.

"What happened?" Damon asked lightly.

Elena sighed and withdrew from Damon, "I'll tell you on the way home, all I can think about right now is Ava," she said.

Damon nodded in understanding and slung his arm over his shoulder, pulling her towards him as her arm went underneath his jacket and around his waist. They started walking and Damon's mind started to wander to all the things that could have happened to Elena tonight. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her tonight, knowing that she was only outside to get some space from him and their argument.

As they were walking, Kol caught up to them. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tight. Not even startled at the lack of breath she was receiving, she slipped her arm from Damon to wrap her arms around Kol's mid-section. He was shaking in his hug and Elena ran her hand up and down his back, letting out soothing words to him.

"I'm okay, nothing happened to me. I'm still here," Elena whispered.

He released his tight grip on her and backed up a little bit, surveying her body and face for any distinguishing marks. There was a scrape on her left leg that was slightly bleeding. His face got a little angry, "What happened? Who did this to you?" Kol asked.

Damon's eyes widened as he could now smell the blood on her leg, he blurred to her side and crouched down to inspect it. He looked up at her with a face just as angry, "Who did this to you?" he repeated the question.

She gulped, "I don't know who took me. He was a vampire and when we got to the cave he threw me at the ground, my leg must have hit something. In all honesty, I wasn't concerned about it, just what was going on around me," she said.

"I'll kill him," Kol's eyes blazed with fury.

"He's already dead, Kol. Maddox killed him," Elena explained before Kol could go out searching for the lanky vampire.

Damon forced her attention to him by grasping her chin and tilting her head up to look at him. She obliged and looked him in his deep oceanic blue eyes. "Who is Maddox, what does he want?"

Elena's eyes started coming to tears as she squeezed Damon's hand, all of the moments she shared with Maddox and learning about the Ligno Vitae were starting to hit her. Her precious daughter was needed for the sacrifice and danger was about to ascend onto her family. Kol looked at Elena's crying face and that just added to his fuel, he blurred out of sight in the hopes of trying to find this Maddox guy and get answers from him.

Damon gathered Elena in his arms, providing her with the comfort she needed and silently thanking Kol for the time alone with his wife. He was so worried about Elena that he had no time to be angry with anyone or anything right at this moment.

"Damon, they want Ava," Elena cried.

He stood frozen for a second and didn't speak for what seemed like forever. She cried in his chest and he held her tighter than ever, knowing that she'd need the comfort and because he needs her just as much as she needs him. He picked her up bridal style and whispered calming and soothing words into her ear and blurred them over to their house. He sat her on the couch and moved over to the kitchen to make her some coffee. Though, the reason he moved away was to call Bonnie.

"_Did you find her?_" Bonnie asked worriedly.

"Yeah, but Bonnie, it's much worse than that now. I need you to get over here as fast as you can, it's so much bigger than what you think," Damon said softly. He was afraid of his own voice.

"_Jeremy just showed up, he'll watch Ava until I get back. I'll be over in 10," _Bonnie whispered before hanging up.

Damon returned to the couch and gave Elena her coffee. She sipped it slowly, savouring the taste. "Thanks, Damon," she sighed.

"Tell me what he said," Damon pleaded.

Elena shook her head, "We should wait for Bonnie to get here, to see what she says about all of this," she whispered.

Damon got up and turned his back to her and paced around the living room. His hands were on his face and through his hair; he was usually patient but the suspense about his daughter was killing him. "Damnit Elena, she's my daughter too. Tell me what he said to you," he spoke through clenched teeth.

Elena looked up at him with a glare, "Do you think this is easy for me, you jackass? I just learned that my daughter was needed for a sacrifice so that she could save every supernatural creature on earth, including me and you. How do you expect I take that?" Elena said furiously.

Damon's face turned into a mixture of shock, fury and worry. "He told you that she needed to be _sacrificed_ and you're only telling me now? Jesus Christ, Elena. There are things you keep to yourself and then there are things that you should fucking share with others. She's my daughter for crying out loud, you're my wife! What happened to 'we took vows not to keep things from each other'?" He yelled.

Elena knew it was misplaced anger being directed to her, but that didn't make the words hurt any less. "I'm sorry? Weren't you the one holding things from me and not telling me things? It took me _two weeks_ to find out that we were in danger because you held it to yourself and didn't want to tell me. I withhold something from you for _forty five _minutes and all fucking hell breaks loose? You're a hypocrite," she yelled back.

"Great parenting on your job, Elena. I withheld a stupid little note; you withheld information about my daughter being used in a fucking sacrifice. You tell me which one is more serious!" He screamed out.

"_Your_ daughter? You little asshole, where the fuck were you the first three years of her god damn life while I was busting my ass trying to make ends meet just for her. She's my daughter, you only showed up a month ago. Do not tell me how to parent my daughter or deal with information giving to me about her," she shrieked.

"I showed up a month ago because that was the only time I got to come back to you for saving your god damn life, and hers! Don't throw that in my face, I did it for you guys," he looked at Elena with a hurt expression.

"Don't imply I'm a bad parent then, you have faults just like me. Damnit Damon, why are you fighting me about this? Do you think it's a walk in the park to talk about my daughter's potential death, especially with you? She's just a baby, Damon. I won't allow her to be used in a sacrifice. I've had my fair share of sacrifices and rituals for God's sake, I'm done with it!" Elena squealed. Her eyes relinquishing long overdue water falls of tears.

He couldn't stand to see her cry but he knew if he tried to comfort her she would push him away because of the fight they were just having. Just as he was going to speak out again, the front door opened and Bonnie stepped into the foyer.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked curiously, seeing her best friend in tears and Damon with an upset expression on his face. She glared at him, thinking it was his fault. He raised his arms up inn response and Elena lifted her head up to see her best friend standing there. She ran to Bonnie and embraced her, needing some female comfort right now. Bonnie ran her arms up and down Elena's back soothingly and let her cry it all out.

After about five minutes of crying, Elena's sobs reduced to sniffles and then stopped completely. Elena sat down on the couch and Damon on the arm rest of the couch on the other side, Bonnie sitting on the matching sofa chair in front of them. She started telling them of the things she witnessed and heard tonight in the cave.

"What did his tattoo look like?" Bonnie asked.

"He had a mark which was growing on his back. It grew as he killed vampires and he told me its legend. It's the Ligno Vitae, an ancient tree that links The Other Side, Earth and Heaven," Elena answered.

"Why would they need to link the three of them together though?" Damon questioned.

"All supernatural beings die and go to The Other Side because the Witches hated them, so they need a vampire/werewolf, a doppelganger/werewolf, and a doppelganger/vampire to combine their powers and activate the Ligno Vitae," Bonnie summed up for Damon.

"That's not all. He said they need the ritual to be performed by a witch who has tapped into expression and who has a direct bloodline from the first witch. I don't even know what expression is," Elena said.

Bonnie gulped and searched Damon and Elena's eyes, "Expression is a form of black magic, it's the most powerful magic there is and it can override the spells of the original witches, even the witches on The Other Side," she stuttered.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Bonnie, "How do you know?"

"Because I've been practising it," she said.

"Bonnie!" Elena gasped.

"How do you think I got the locator spell to help you find Elena? I'm not using it for the forces of evil for god's sake; I'm just using it because the witches on The Other Side are always refusing to help me. You always need me to do things that corrupt the witches' laws of nature so I need it," Bonnie explained.

Damon nodded in understanding; if Bonnie needed to tap into dark magic to help her friends then he understood. He'd do anything for Elena, Ava and Stefan. Elena, however, was still wary about Bonnie using dark magic. She didn't want it to consume her; though she thought against speaking her thoughts for fear that she might upset Bonnie or Damon.

"So how exactly does it save the supernatural from eternity of terror," Damon said sarcastically.

Elena looked up into his eyes for the first time since Bonnie came over, "Maddox said you'd have to drop a significant amount of blood in the surrounding soil of the tree," she said.

Damon scoffed, "I should kill that Maddox guy, if I do then all of this is over. They can't get to the tree if they don't know what it looks like."

Bonnie shook her head, "Don't do anything until we know everything there is about this ritual or these people. Elena said that he was working for some people who are running the show, killing him would be stupid because he's obviously on our side. He's our mole, if he leaks information while still acting like their ally then so be it. We'll always be one step ahead of them," she said determinedly.

"Damon, Maddox is only helping them because he's fighting for his life, just like we would be. You did the same thing when Sage had you, don't treat him any differently. If anything, you should be thanking him for letting us know all about this," Elena reminded him.

Damon rolled his eyes and got up just as Bonnie did.

"I'm going to go home and research a little more about this. I'll look through some grimoires and try to get a hold of Grams; maybe she'll know something about the Ligno Vitae. Ava's still there with Jeremy, if you want to you can come spend the night. I might need you guys in the morning for some back up information just in case," Bonnie suggested.

Damon looked over at his wife and Elena nodded, she was in desperate need to see her daughter. "I'll grab some of our things and I'll head over there, you and Bonnie can go on without me," he offered.

"Why don't we just carpool?"

"We're going to need the car tomorrow to get home and I know you want to catch up with Bonnie and talk about your girly things," Damon smirked, "Go, I'll be there soon," he said.

He placed a kiss to her forehead before walking at a human pace towards the stairs and into their room to grab some pajamas for Elena, clothes for the both of them tomorrow, and some toiletries as well. Then, remembering that Ava was probably without any clothes or a tooth brush, he packed some of Ava's things too.

* * *

><p>"Ava was really upset tonight. No one told her that you were kidnapped or in danger but it was like she could sense it. She kept saying something was wrong because you never came to say goodbye or give her a kiss. Are you guys ever apart for long periods of time?" Bonnie asked as they were driving towards her house.<p>

"Ever since I had Ava, I've never been away from her for more than a few hours. She's never had sleepovers with friends because I think she's way too young and she's only slept over at Caroline's house once. That may not be healthy but once you become a mother, everything changes. You realize that no matter how sophisticated you are, becoming a mother will reduce you to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. The urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause you to drop a soufflé or your best crystal without a moment's hesitation. You'll never watch another tragedy on the news without thinking 'That could have been my daughter.'

"Bonnie, I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her. Yeah, Damon's her father and he'll be torn up about it, even broken inside. But I will feel like nothing. If something happens to her, I'm as good as dead. I've been with her since she was born, I've stayed up through late night feedings, I've witnessed her first laugh, first words, first steps and I've witnessed it alone. No one will understand, not even Damon," Elena said. Her voice was wavering with emotion.

Bonnie reached over and grabbed Elena's hand with the one she wasn't driving with and squeezed. "I know, Elena. But you know that nothing will happen to Ava. Look at her family, for heaven's sake, look at Klaus; no one is going to get to her if he has anything to do about it. Elena, she's not in any danger, don't you worry," Bonnie assured her.

"I think the reason she knew something was going on was because she can sense auras around people's bodies. If people are upset, she senses it because she can see it around you. I was calm when I was talking to her so she was calm but when Damon was talking to her, he was worried about you, so she anxious and worried. She's a truly remarkable little girl, I can tell you that," Bonnie smiled.

When Bonnie pulled her hand away from Elena's, she felt this weird rush of adrenaline flow through her body. She looked over at Elena to see if she felt it to, but she didn't. It was unexplainable, there was energy emitting from Elena's body and Bonnie couldn't help but wonder why.

They got to Bonnie's house and as soon as they stepped through the door, Elena felt something collide with her lower half of her body. Looking down, she noticed it was Ava. Elena smiled at her and picked her up, placing kisses all around her face and hugging Ava to her torso.

"Mommy, where did you go?" Ava asked worriedly.

Elena smiled at her daughter, "I just went out to Aunt Katherine's house, I forgot my necklace there. I didn't say goodbye because you were supposed to be sleeping," Elena said. She kissed Ava's nose and looked over at Bonnie. "I'm just going to take her up the guest room and get ready for bed. Thanks Bon."

As Elena ascended the stairs, Ava rested her head on Elena's shoulder, snuggling into her as much as she could. Elena opened the door to the bedroom and closed it behind her, setting Ava down on the bed. "Momma, why are we sleeping at Aunt Bonnie's?"

"Because she needs Daddy's help tomorrow with something and Aunt Caroline is coming over to get ready with me for the Founder's Day Parade tomorrow. We're in charge because Mrs. Lockwood is getting too old and cranky to do it alone," Elena chuckled, causing Ava to giggle.

Elena took the liberty to use the ensuite bathroom in Bonnie and Jeremy's guest room, setting up towels and things so that she could be ready to take a shower before bed. When she got back to the room, Damon and Ava were lying down on the bed side by side talking about unicorns. She smiled as they fought about it playfully, they could be so corny sometimes.

"I brought your things," Damon nodded towards the bag beside the door.

"You should shower first, I'll put Ava to bed," Elena offered, silently pleading with Damon to go along with her. She needed the time with her daughter.

He stood up and gave Ava a kiss on her forehead, grabbing a bag of his things and bringing them to the bathroom with him. He closed the door behind him and Elena looked over to her daughter. She was the spitting image of the man she was supposed to be upset with, how could she look at a miniature version of him and still be upset? She couldn't.

Elena brought the covers of the bed back and Ava slipped under them as Elena's brought them up to her chin. She reached over to the other side of the bed and placed the bear in Ava's arms. She smiled down at her and placed the gentlest kiss on her cheek, "I love you, baby girl. Mommy will never let anything happen to you," she whispered, tucking a strand of loose hair behind Ava's ear.

Elena lay down beside Ava, waiting for Damon to be done with the shower, but she couldn't help but let sleep overcome her. It had been an exhausting day and night, she needed her sleep.

Damon came out of the bathroom clad in his boxers and saw both of his girls sleeping. He didn't have the heart to wake Elena up for her turn to shower, so he just climbed in on the other side of the bed. It was a king sized bed, able to fit the three of them. Damon was on the left, Ava in the middle and Elena on the right. He was watching them sleep with such fascination in his eyes.

Ava was curled into Elena, her teddy bear wrapped in her arms. Elena with her arm wrapped around Ava securely, like a mother bear and a baby cub. Elena reached her hand out and grasped Damon's, opening them unexpectedly. Her eyes opened slightly, as if she had been awake the whole time.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, a small tear falling from the corner of her eye.

His heart broke at the sight of his wife and he brought her hand to his mouth, placing a kiss on it. "Don't be sorry, baby. I over reacted, as always. None of this is your fault; you're just doing the best you can. I'm sorry for making you feel guilty and for keeping things from you," he also apologized. She squeezed his hand as a sign of forgiveness and he smiled genuinely at her.

He let go of her hand and took off the necklace he was wearing, undoing the clasp at the back and releasing the wedding ring she dropped when she was taken earlier that night. He slipped it into her finger and she smiled at him before dozing off, the last thing he heard from her was a soft, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

* * *

><p>Kol sighed as he searched around the forest for that Maddox guy, he didn't think he would be able to find him. His fury had dissipated about an hour ago and now all he was doing was searching through an empty forest, or so he thought. He heard a couple of twigs breaking from behind him and blurred around him. Grabbing the man behind him and slamming him against the tree.<p>

"Nice to see you, brother," said the man.

Kol loosened his grip but still had a firm hold around his neck, "Finn, what are you doing here?" he asked. What would Finn of all people be doing there? He and Klaus had a falling out years ago and he never came back. If Klaus finds him here, Finn's as good as dead, or daggered in their case.

Finn threw Kol off and fixed his fair with a quick flip, "I came to have a talk with Niklaus. I came seeking his forgiveness as I am going to try and make amends to make this family one again," he answered.

Kol laughed and held his stomach, "Really? That's your excuse? I know you Finn; you always have an ulterior motive. So what is it, brother? What's the secret agenda of yours?" Kol questioned.

Finn walked past him and kept heading down the trail, knowing he'd find a hotel somewhere close by in Mystic Falls. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, little brother. Family means nothing to you and your incompetent mind. Though, can't say I blame you. Mother turned you into a non-aging brat, you'll never outgrow it no matter how many years you live," Finn spoke.

Kol angrily ripped a tree branch off a tree and staked Finn through his left shoulder, "Don't dare presume to know anything about me. You don't know the meaning of family; you walked out on us two years ago when you and Klaus had a disagreement. You didn't think we needed you? Though, can't say I blame you. You were probably out looking for Sage, that evil bitch from hell that ruined my family. So no, you're the brat. You'll never outgrow your hatred for this family, that's why I know you're not here to make amends," Kol seethed.

Finn angrily pulled the stake out of his shoulder and glared at Kol, "I'm not going to fight you because family means something to me. Unlike you and Niklaus, I'd never physically hurt my family. I'll see you soon, Kol," Finn said calmly before blurring off into the night. Kol didn't know what Finn doing back in town meant, but he knew it didn't mean anything good. So he did what he had to do and that was warning his family.

As he gathered his siblings at Elijah's house and told them what was going on, they all had different opinions about it.

"You staked him?" Rebekah squealed.

Kol, Elijah and Klaus rolled their eyes simultaneously, of course she was going to over react. Though, she'd been taking it better than the rest of her siblings, in fact, she was happy that her family was together again. While the boys had doubts, Rebekah thought of this as a time to rekindle their relationships and build a family with all the members they had left.

"Seriously, Bekah, not exactly the point here," Kol said.

Elijah held his hand up in the air as Rebekah opened her mouth to speak and give Kol a piece of her mind. "Enough, both of you. I don't think Finn is here on pure intentions, and I do recommend that everyone keep their eyes open for some suspicious behaviour. Though, we are wrong to deny our brother of the family he wants. If it's family he wants, then it's family he gets. Just, keep him at arm's length. We'd be fools to blindly trust the man who walked out on us," Elijah spoke wisely.

Klaus smirked, "Let him be the one to apologize to me, I won't step up first," he said.

"You smug bastard, you let him walk out on us. If you didn't dagger him and betray him so many times, he wouldn't have left in the first place. You should be the one to apologize," Rebekah glared at Klaus. His smirk dropped from his face and he gave her a menacing look.

"Would you like to end up in a box? I can make arrangements," Klaus seethed.

"Enough, go home, all of you. We'll discuss this at the Founder's Day Parade tomorrow," Elijah bellowed. He was sick of his family fighting. He was happy that Finn was back, like Rebekah, but he had a lot of suspicion, just like Klaus and Kol.

"If Finn is here on ulterior motives, and those imply hurting my loved ones, I'll kill him. Do you understand?" Kol said seriously.

Rebekah grabbed her coat and slipped on her shoes before turning back to look at him, "You kill him and I'll kill you," Rebekah said. A part of him wanted to believe she was joking, but he knew he wasn't. Though, she was no threat to him. Klaus would have her daggered and in a coffin until deemed ready to calm down, she'd never kill him. That doesn't make what she says any less hurtful.

Kol looked over to his brothers, "I'll see you both tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Damon, where are my heels? The black ones I bought on Tuesday at the mall?" Elena yelled from inside the bedroom closet. She knew she didn't have to yell to get his attention, considering he had magnificent hearing ability, but she did it anyway.<p>

He came into the closet and shrugged at her, "I don't know. I didn't touch them, I prefer my shoes a little more platformed and closed-toed," he said sarcastically.

He took in her appearance and was in awe. She was wearing a champagne coloured cocktail length bateau neckline with scoop back dupioni dress. Wide matching waistband and pleated skirt with pockets at side seams. She rolled her eyes and got out of the closet and off to Ava's room, hoping she would know where they were.

"Ava, do you know where-" she started before she found them. They were neatly polished and placed on a stool outside of her bedroom door. She smiled and picked them up, walking downstairs to see Kol sitting at the kitchen table eating toast and drinking milk. She held up the shoes and shook them a little, her smile expanding as she saw him smirking.

"I knew you'd need them today so I took the liberty of polishing them for you, you had a rough night," Kol shrugged. Elena laughed, he reminded her of Damon. He didn't like taking responsibility for the good deeds he does.

"Thank you, I had no time to get them done this week. You didn't have to do that, but I'm so happy you did," she smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to the Founder's Day Parade today?" Elena asked, pouring herself some milk.

"I am, I'm meeting Klaus and Elijah there," Kol answered.

"Planning on seeing Finn there too?"

Kol turned to face her, his face shocked. "How'd you know he was back in town? He only got in really late last night," he asked.

"I heard all about your sibling meeting last night, Caroline told me. She demanded to know why Klaus was leaving in the wee hours of the morning," Elena chuckled, "Not a big deal, it's strange but I don't exactly think much of it. If Finn wants to apologize to Klaus then so be it, maybe he'll even leave after he does it," Elena raised her eyebrow and smirked.

Kol chuckled and brought his dishes to the dishwasher, loading them up with Elena's just-now finished cup of milk. She walked back up the stairs and saw that her daughter was still in bed, snoring. Elena laughed and that woke Ava up. With a groan, Ava rubbed her tired eyes and frowned at her mom.

"When did we get home? I thought we were staying at Aunt Bonnie's?" Ava whispered.

"Well we were going to, but it turns out that Aunt Bonnie didn't need Daddy's help with anything after all and Daddy forgot all my things here for the Founder's Day Parade. We left Aunt Bonnie's really early this morning and you were so tired so I put you back to bed. But it's time to get up now, lazy bones, we need to get ready because Aunt Caroline is going to be here any minute," Elena explained.

Ava rolled her eyes and hopped out of bed, throwing her covers back in a lame attempt at making her bed and walked to her bathroom to brush her teeth. Elena smiled at Ava's laziness and went to search through her daughter's clothes to pick something for her to wear. Elena finally found a dress in Ava's closet that she really liked.

It was a long sleeve knee-length dress with thick black laced cap sleeves and a velvet blue cotton skirt, the tops of the skirt had pockets. It came with black patterned see-through stockings and black flats. Elena laid it down on the bed for Ava and walked over to the bathroom where Ava was now drying her hands on a towel.

Elena bent down to Ava's height and smiled at her, "Listen baby, Mommy needs to go get ready and meet Aunt Caroline for the parade. Daddy will bring you by to see it later on, okay?" she said.

"Okay Mommy," Ava smiled and placed a sloppy kiss on Elena's lips before giving her a hug and running into her room to get dressed.

Elena walked over to her room and saw Damon putting on his slim-fitting long sleeved black dress shirt and velvet blue tie. She smirked at the colour co-ordination as she had previously picked the same thing for Ava's colour patterns. Now they were both going to look like twins, she thought.

She walked up to her sexy husband and wrapped her arms around his back, breathing in his familiar scent and kissed his back. He smiled down at her interlocked hands around his midsection and turned around in her arms, bringing his head down to place a kiss to her lips.

Elena moaned softly as his tongue caressed her lips, teasing them open. She obliged and opened her mouth for him and welcomed his tongue with a fight for dominance with his. His hands were running through Elena's long silky waves, massaging her scalp and earning himself those cute little moans he loves hearing come from her mouth.

He turned them around and pressed her up against the wall, moving his kisses from his lips down to her jaw and leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses down to her neck. She ran her fingers through his raven black locks and shut her eyes dreamily.

She raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist, gyrating herself against his lower half. He groaned in frustration and pulled back from her, resting his forehead on hers.

"We've got to stop before I won't be able to control myself. Ava's across the hallway and you need to meet Caroline at the Council office in half an hour," Damon whispered.

"I know, but you're too hot to resist," Elena chuckled. Damon let out a heartfelt laugh and kissed her neck as she unwrapped herself from his waist.

"I'll let you have me later on, if you're good," Elena whispered in his ear. He groaned at the sensation of his painfully hard length growing harder from her words.

"You'd better."

* * *

><p>"Elena, you look incredible. You're shoes, jeeze, they're so shiny. You got them polished, didn't you?" Caroline said. Elena smirked and twirled around for Caroline to take in her appearance. Caroline whistled at her and smirked. Elena walked over to the clipboard on the left side of the room and picked it up, along with a pen and a notepad.<p>

"This year's float is going to have, Ashley Pennington with Daniel Foss, April Young with Justin King and Catherine Harte with Will Stacy as the three founding families, right? They've got all of their gowns and formal wear, I delivered it to their doors with Damon last week," Elena assured.

"Yeah, Ash and Dan are Lockwood's, April and Justin are Salvatore's, and Cathy and Will are Gilbert's. They all checked off with attendance and they're in Mrs. Lockwood's house getting ready. They're going to be doing the float around town for the first hour and a half then they're going to do their speeches and we'll set up for the carnival," Caroline said.

"Great, I'm just going to go check if our food stands and everything are going to be ready," Elena smiled.

She walked out of the square garden and out to Mrs. Lockwood's house; she was in charge of making the teens get ready for the parade and for the attendance of the caterers whereas Elena and Caroline were out making preparations for the actual event. The front gates of the Lockwood house was locked and Elena forgot to bring her ID key so she went around back of the house, knowing there was a gated fence she could open with no problem.

She walked around and up the lawn, seeing the entire streets and most of Mrs. Lockwood's property surrounded by town folk who were getting ready to enjoy the parade. She smiled, knowing it was because of her and Caroline that there were people here.

As she was about to walk on over to the backdoor of the Lockwood mansion, she looked on over to the suspicious sight in front of her. In the distance, there stood Maddox and Finn. They were talking and that was putting it mildly, it looked like a very intense talk. Just as she was going to avert from looking at them and bring her attention elsewhere, Maddox made quick eye-contact with her and she heard him speaking in her head.

_Don't tell anyone what you saw here; trust me, I will tell you everything and everything will come together smoothly. For Ava's sake, Elena, keep this to yourself and go about your day._

So without and question, she did.

* * *

><p><em>So tell me, how did you like it? Did you like it, or did you hate it? This is the new plot development and believe me when I say this is only the beginning, later chapters will definitely have you reeling for more with new discoveries and Damon and Elena development! <em>

_I'm really sorry about the extremely late update, I truly am. I'm not going to put my problems on my fans, but I was just sorting through some stuff in my life. Don't you worry though; the next chapter is already half way done!_

_I just wanted to say a quick Happy Easter to those who celebrated it this weekend, I was supposed to have this up by Saturday night but a few plot revisions kept me back a couple of days. _

_I'm really impressed with the reviews that I've been getting so please, for the love of God, keep reviewing. Constructive criticism is welcomed here and I encourage you to tell me how you're feeling about the story. _

_I want to know your favourite part of this chapter and your least favourite part of this chapter!_

_I can't wait to hear what you think about it and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, but it all depends on your reviews! I'm not picky but I would like about 20 before the next update *smiles shyly*._

_Feedback is love, people_


	7. Control

_**Story:**__ Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter:**__ Control_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I still don't own The Vampire Diaries or its characters, sadly. However, I am working on it!_

* * *

><p>Elena sighed as she put her phone in her messenger bag. Of course, leave it to Damon to never answer his damn cellphone. She knew she shouldn't have been texting him anyway, considering she was supposed to be at the park with Ava. Though, with all that's going on in their lives, Elena just wanted to know that Damon was within reach if something happened to her or Ava.<p>

Ava.

Her pride and joy, her love and sole reason for her existence-okay, maybe not sole, Damon was a huge part of her existence as well. Without them, she would be nothing.

Elena and Ava were enjoying their time together at the park. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her afternoon. The weather was exquisite; the sun was shining but there was a small breeze. There was no one at the park, just them. You could hear the faint cries of "Higher, Mommy, higher!" As Elena pushed Ava on the swings—and not the baby swings, the big girl swings. Once Ava was done, she had opted to play on the slide while Elena watched.

"Elena Gilbert? Is that you?" A warm feminine voice said from behind her.

Elena turned her head and smiled brightly. There stood the woman who helped Elena get through University while still taking care of her baby. She was the lovely, middle aged, widowed mother, with twin boys about a year older than Ava. "Wendy, oh my-It's so good to see you!" Elena said.

"It's been a while, Gilbert. I haven't seen you since last year in August for the apartment cook-out. My boys have been dying to see Ava. How is she?" Wendy smirked, holding the hands of both her twin boys.

Elena smiled as she faintly remembers dressing a newly 3-year-old Ava in a spaghetti strap casual dress for the cook-out; it was brutal. She looked over to her now almost 4-year-old daughter laughing hysterically on the slide and smirked.

"I'm here with her, she's over at the slide if the boys want to see her," Elena said to Wendy. Sure enough, both Eric and Kyle raced over to the slide to see Ava.

"Those boys are head over heels for Ava, they've been in love with her since they laid eyes on her at the apartment," Wendy cooed.

Elena thought back to her first day at the apartment. She couldn't live on campus with a roommate because she had a baby so she opted for the cheapest apartment she could find. It just so happened that a broken down and small five hundred dollar, two bedroom, one bathroom, apartment complex. She shuddered when she thought about what she had to go through with living there with a baby and raising said baby there.

There were drug deals going on in lower floors, leaking ceilings, robberies, breaking and entering scandals, a never working elevator even though they lived on the thirteenth floor. It was a terrible two and a half years and Elena had so many regrets with choosing it. What made it better through that whole ordeal were Wendy and her boys. She covered babysitting for free when Elena was working or at school and Elena babysat Wendy's boys when Wendy needed time for herself.

The first day was one of her favourite memories though because no matter how shitty the apartment was, Wendy welcomed them with open arms. Eric and Kyle had goo-goo eyes for little Ava and they were inseparable after that. That is, until Elena moved back to Mystic Falls.

"I remember it like it was only yesterday," Elena smiled.

Ava was contemplating another round down the slide when she was met with two fraternal twin boys. She turned around to have a better look at them before grinning wildly. "Hi!" She exclaimed. She was so excited that she hadn't said anything but that, thereafter giving both of them a big hug—much to Kyle's dismay.

"I missed you, Ava," Eric smiled.

She blushed and folded her hands behind her back in shyness. "I missed you guys too, want to play on the swings? Momma says I can play on the big girl swings because in older now," she said with a toothy grin.

Kyle looked over at the swings and saw that there were only two that were side by side yet there were three people. Knowing Ava would pick one, that left him and his brother to fight over one. He glared at Eric as Eric nodded frantically with a smile on his face as he walked over to them with Ava. Feeling left out, he decided to leave them and play with the birds by the gazebo.

Meanwhile, Ava and Eric were swinging as high as they could go. "So are you in school yet?" Eric asked.

"No, not yet. I will be soon though; I'll be a big girl soon. Is school fun, Eric?" She asked timidly.

"Yeah, it's lots of fun. We get to sing songs, play games, read books and have nap time! Kyle is in my class too, he doesn't like school very much," Eric explained.

Ava frowned and turned her head, craning her neck to try and find Kyle. Then she spotted him by the gazebo, singing to the crows. She smiled at Eric and said, "I'll be back. I'm just going to see Kyle."

She swung off the swing and landed in the sand, dusting off her pants before running over to Kyle. When she approached him, she slowed her pace and eventually sits beside him. He noticed her beside him but didn't acknowledge her presence or say anything. That was when Ava got a good look at the aura glowing around him; it was a green that fluctuated from dark to light at different mood stages. She bent her head to catch his blue eyes and she smiled at him. As if she were a siren, he looked into her eyes and smiled back. "Hi," he whispered.

She smiles softly, "Hello. Why are sitting here by yourself? Do you like the birdies?"

He scoffed, rather embarrassed that she called him out on something he wanted to keep to himself. "No," he said.

She pouted, knowing he was lying. "My mommy said it's not nice to fib, why are you fibbing?" She asked.

He glared at her and scooted away from her, "Leave me alone, I'm not fibbing," he said.

She grew frustrated at the little boy and glared at him. She caught his gaze and felt her pupils dilating as she spoke. "Don't you ever lie to me again, tell me the truth: do you like birds?" She demanded.

As if he was a robot, his eyes were still stuck on hers and said "I will never lie to you again, I love birds," he answered in a monotone voice. Satisfied with her answer, she smiled and patted his knee before picking a dandelion from the grass and walking over to her mother. Who, by the way, was staring at her in complete shock and sudden anger.

Elena saw what Ava had done and couldn't help but wonder how she did it and why she would do it. Ava compelled Kyle to tell her the truth, alerting Elena to her senses. It was time to take her home. She turned to Wendy when Ava stood beside her. "Wendy, it was so nice to see you again. You have my number, text me your new address and we'll arrange for a play date or something another time," Elena smiled.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I'll see you soon, bye Ava!" Wendy said, chuckling as Ava waved her small hand and cowered behind Elena's legs. Elena gave Ava a scolding glare and nodded her head for Ava to walk ahead of her, her arms folded in her chest.

Once they were out of sight or hearing distance, Wendy picked up her phone and clicked her speed dial 4. "Hey, it's Wendy," she said.

"What do you have about the girl?" The gruff manly voice said.

"From what I know; she's got a heartbeat, and she has an inhuman speed. Though, she compelled one of my sons so she's not human. There's something about this girl, I just don't know what yet," she spoke.

"Get to know her more, I want to know everything I can about this girl," he said.

"Will do, sir. Talk to you soon," she assured him. She hung up the phone and looked up to the sky, guilt and grief clouding her perspective.

"God I hope I'm doing the right thing," she whispered, clutching at her vervain filled necklace.

* * *

><p>They began walking home and when they were a little over half way, Ava turned around and looked up at her mother. Her eyes were a soft and concentrating blue, trying to understand why her mom was so upset with her. "Mommy, are you mad at me?" she asked.<p>

Elena sighed, "Ava, I'm not mad at you. I'm upset with you for being rude to Kyle. Where are your manners, young lady?" she asked, though that wasn't the whole reason; compulsion.

"Was it because I made him tell the truth? I felt my eyes do something funny and then he did what I said. Is that why you're upset with me?" Ava asked.

"Yes, Ava, that is why I'm upset. That was beyond rude and anyone could have caught you doing that. You're special, baby. I taught you how to control your speed in public and now you do something like this?" She exclaimed in a whisper, looking around frantically just in case someone could hear them.

"But mommy, he lied to me. How else would I have gotten him to tell the truth? He deserved it! I should have made him eat the sand too for fibbing; you told me that it's a horrible thing to do!" Ava said, raising her voice.

Elena glared at her daughter as they walked up the driveway. "Ava, don't you dare. You're not to treat others that way, and just for thinking like that, I'm going to take away your Bratz house until you show a little respect," Elena said. It broke her heart to take away her favourite toy, but it had to be done. She had to learn that this was not acceptable.

Ava angrily looked into her mother's eyes, pupils dilating just like they did at the park with Kyle. "You won't take away my Bratz house, you won't take away any of my toys," Ava compelled Elena.

Elena's face grew angry and shocked all at once. Ava tried to compel her, obviously thinking she couldn't resist. Not knowing about the vervain Elena drank every morning. "That's it," Elena yelled. "You're grounded, young lady. I'm taking all your toys away and you're going up to your room until I say you can come out."

Ava's mouth opened wide and tears threatened to escape her eyes. "No mommy don't, please! I'm sorry!" Ava babbled but Elena was having none of it. They walked up the stairs of the porch and into the house. Damon was sitting on the couch when this was happening so he looked at her confused but Elena glared at him not to intervene just yet. She stared expectantly at Ava and just before she was going to plea to her mother again, Elena glared at her. Tears fell from Ava's eyes as she stomped up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door afterwards.

"Don't you think about coming out of there until I say so, do you hear me?" Elena bellowed from the front entrance, knowing Ava could hear her.

Damon sighed and put down the book he was reading. "So much for mother-daughter bonding day, what happened?" He asked.

She scoffed and took her shoes off, setting her coat on the clothing hanger by the door. "We met up with this woman Wendy at the park and her two sons—we knew them from the apartment in New York. Anyway, Ava wasn't getting her way so she compelled one of the boys and gave him some of her sass," she sighed.

She walked into the kitchen to grab some Tostitos chips from the pantry before ranting again. "Then, on the way home, she was giving me attitude and tried to compel me not to take her toys as a consequence. She tried to compel me, Damon," Elena sighed. She poured the chips onto a plate where she shredded cheese on top and threw some olives, tomatoes and spices, before popping it into the microwave. Elena frowned. "Where is my angel baby that would never act like this and who is that demon child upstairs," she said jokingly.

Damon's brow lifted in amusement, she was making nachos? Since when did she come off the healthy maniac train? Not that he was complaining, and he's never brought it up to her, but it was odd. Though, back on topic, he said, "Baby, don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

She pulled the plate out of the microwave and glared at him as she dug her fingers in for the first nacho. "I don't, actually. It is ridiculous that she thinks she can act this way, she tried to compel me, Damon; her own damn mother!" She yelled.

"I know that, I'm not excusing her actions. But she's only three; she's not exactly in control. She's impulsive because she's young and I'm going to guess her emotions are heightened as well so it's not exactly like she knows what she's doing," Damon tried to reason with her.

Elena rolled her eyes and put more nachos in her mouth, "Damon, I know that. But if we don't give her consequences then how will she ever learn?"

"She's apologized, Elena. That's the best she can do right now, you're not giving her any room for improvement. You're always scolding her, one day she's going to lash out. Why don't you try talking to her?" He suggested.

"Damon!" She bellowed. "I'm not an idiot. This is the way I've raised her and she's been doing great. Now that she's discovering her abilities I'm supposed to be more lenient? I'm just giving her time to cool off in her room because that's what happens. I can't be around her right now because I feel like I'm going to explode with frustration so that's why we're apart right now. It's no use talking to each other and trying to work something out when it literally just happened. Don't condescend me, don't act like you're the best parent in the world because lord knows what I had to go through while you were gone," Elena ranted. She finished her nachos and put the plate in the dishwasher.

"When are you going to stop punishing me for that?" Damon sighed. He looked down at the floor in sadness and Elena's heart broke in a thousand pieces. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and buried her head in his chest.

"I'm sorry; I know that you did it for us. I love you, I was just being a bitch because I was upset, forgive me?" She apologized.

He looked at her cute doe eyes and sighed, "Of course I do, I love you, but jeez woman. You seriously need to get a grip on your hormones, you're very emotional today," he laughed.

She rolled her eyes and playfully bit his bicep, laughing as he winced. She pulled back and looked over at the fridge, her stomach rumbling. He cocked his head to the side and laughed, "Seriously? You just had nachos and you're still hungry?" He observed.

She smiled shyly, "I didn't have breakfast; can you make me something?" She asked.

"What does thou hear desire'st most, dearly beloved?" He mocked, on his way to the kitchen.

"Something small but good, like a sandwich. With leftover chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo slathered on both pieces of bread," she said dreamily. She had to forcibly restrain herself from moaning and slurping excess saliva from her mouth just thinking about it.

He kissed her cheek and went off to make it as she sat down on one of the kitchen island bar stools. She put her elbows on the counter and sighed, placing her head in her hands; massaging away the tension that was starting to form. Elena wanted to stay upset with Ava because it wasn't right for her to act this way but Damon was right; she's just a little girl. She doesn't fully understand what she's doing. _It also helps that she's cute_, Elena thought right away.

"We should probably go up their soon to talk to her. We should tell her what she's doing more in depth and try to get her to control it," Elena said to Damon. He looked up at his wife and smiled, she was an amazing mother—there's no doubt about it.

He handed Elena her sandwich and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her mid-section and placed his chin on her shoulder. "She'll be okay; she's just a little hot headed so she needs to cool off. I'm sure she's not upset with you or anything so don't even think that. She's probably worried that you hate her or something, that's what kids do," Damon assured her. He kissed her temple and let go of her, walking over to the study to do some work.

Just as she was cleaning up her mess, Kol had walked into the kitchen. She looked up at him and smiled, "Hey, you hungry?" she asked. He shook his head and she shrugged, wiping the counters with Lysol disinfectant wipes. "Well Ava's grounded right now so you can't go upstairs to see her," Elena smirked.

Kol laughed, "That's harsh, Baby Mama," he said.

She told him all about what happened and his brows fused together in confusion. "Isn't it a little weird that all of these people just started randomly showing up? First it's Damon's father, then that Maddox guy, then Finn, Now this Wendy woman? I don't know, Elena. It seems a little too coincidental in my opinion," Kol expressed.

"You're just over analyzing this. Giuseppe, Maddox, Finn and Wendy have absolutely no connection to each other whatsoever. They all came at different times and they're all here for different reasons," Elena said. Remembering seeing Maddox and Finn talking on the Founder's Day Parade was odd but she was waiting for Maddox to let her know what was going on. Kol may have been on to something but Elena wanted to put it aside for now.

"I think I'm going to go to Whitmore College to get some more info about the Ligno Vitae, I tried out Lesterville but there wasn't anything that we didn't already know. Tell Ava I'll be home later," Kol said. He kissed her cheek and walked out of the house.

Elena smiled as she walked over to the study to see Damon looking through their bills, writing off checks and doing normal civilian things. She chuckled before saying, "You're a fine upstanding citizen, Damon."

He laughed and put down the bills, pushing out of his chair and walking up to her. "'Lena, I think we should talk to Ava now. It's been a half an hour already and from what I hear, she's cooled off," he said, his arms wrapped around her. Elena nodded and reached up on her tippy toes to place a kiss on his lips, intending for it to be innocent but he deepened it.

"Damon," she panted in protest. He smirked and kissed from her cheek downwards, leaving open mouthed kisses on her throat to her collarbone. She gripped her hands on his hips and he ran his hands into her hair.

Tugging gently, he kissed her throat and paused. Lifting his head slightly to whisper in her ear, "You taste amazing," he said.

She squeezed her thighs together and moaned. She raked her nails up his chest and into his hair, "We can't do this. We're supposed to be talking to Ava," she groaned. He rolled his eyes and pecked her mouth.

"She's watching T.V., I'm sure she's not paying attention. Besides, she's three. She doesn't know what we're doing. To her, daddy is just showing mommy how much he loves her," he smirked. He kissed her forehead and grasped her hand. "Let's go have a talk with our daughter," he said smiling.

They walked up the stairs together and down the right corridor, taking a sharp left and it was the only door on the left. The name 'Ava' painted on it with hot pink, black butterflies starting from the bottom of the door in small sizes and gradually getting bigger as they got higher. Damon touched it softly and smiled at Elena, "Did you do this for her?" he asked.

She nodded, "I told her that everyone we've lost is a special butterfly that watches over her, so to pay our respects we painted butterflies on the door," she whispered. Damon looked over and counted the birds: one, two, three, four, and five.

"My mom, dad, Uncle John, Aunt Jenna and Alaric's baby that passed away as a miscarriage two years ago, and Toby; our cat we adopted in New York," she sighed. Damon kissed her forehead and turned the knob on the door of their daughter's room. When they opened the door, Elena's eyes softened and her hand flew to her heart.

There was their beautiful daughter; curled up on the bed, clutching the fuzzy brown blanket that she wrapped around herself. Her teddy bear being crushed to her chest and her wall mounted television playing cartoons while she slept. The part that broke Elena's heart the most was Ava's tear stained cheeks.

Damon and Elena both sat at Ava's bed on either side of her and she stirred, noticing the shift in the bed. Ava opened her eyes and sat up, frowning at her mom. "Mommy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be mean to you," she said—her lip quivering as she spoke.

Elena kissed Ava's forehead and wrapped her slender arms around her daughter's small form. "I know, baby. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," Elena whispered.

Ava looked over at her dad and frowned, not looking at his eyes, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I promise I won't do it again," she whispered.

Damon pulled her into his arms and hugged her, "Don't apologize to me, you already apologized to your mother and that's good enough. I know it's hard with all this stuff that's going on—granted that's not an excuse, but I know you'll try not to do it again," he smirked. Ava wiggled out of Damon's arms to sit in between her parents.

"What's wrong with me? Why can I make things appear out of nowhere and get people to do whatever I want? Kol told me not to do it in public but I don't know why," Ava expressed her thoughts.

"Well," Damon started, "It's because you're special. You're not a vampire like me, but you're not human like your mom. You can run really fast, hear things from very far away, manifest things and compel people. Those are all things you can do because you're a part of me and those are things vampires can do—"

"Except manifesting things, vampires can't do that," Elena said, smiling at Ava. "Only you can do that, which is pretty cool but you need to learn how to control it. These are all things that make you who you are, and we love that about you."

Ava smiled and lifted her hands, closing her eyes and concentrating on trying to manifest something. Elena gasped as she saw a bouquet of white roses fall into her lap. Ava opened her eyes and smiled up at her mom, knowing Elena's favourite flowers were white roses.

"Aunt Bonnie helps me with that stuff. She says I can do magic, like her," Ava giggled.

"See," Damon said, "Special."

"Yes, you really are quite like Aunt Bonnie," Elena said. "You can see auras around people, the colours of their personality and their moods; you can manifest things, whenever you want and wherever you want; and you can read people's minds—"

"It's important that you let us know when you can read anyone's mind, Ava; anyone who isn't family. You can't read Mommy's mind because she's human and she has to tell you yes before you can, but if you can hear anyone's thoughts or read anyone's mind that Mommy and I don't know then you have to tell us right away," Damon warned.

"Because they're not human and they might be dangerous?" Ava asked.

"Yes, Honey, exactly that," Elena spoke.

Ava frowned at her mom, "Am I still grounded?" she asked.

"No, baby, you're not grounded anymore," Elena reassured her.

Ava yawned, cuing to her parents that she was tired—after all, they did wake her from her nap. They got off her bed and tucked her in, giving her many kisses before leaving the room quietly. However, before they could leave, they heard Ava call out to them.

"I love you," Ava said, with a toothy grin and sleepy eyes.

"We love you too, baby," Damon said, smiling as Elena nodded and blew Ava a kiss before they shut the door behind them.

* * *

><p>Elena sighed as she stared at her kitchen; she didn't know where to start. All the pantry doors were open as well as the fridge and she still didn't know what to make for dinner. She was going to go for a taco night, considering it was Ava's favorite meal because it's a make-your-own-creation kind of dinner—but it would have been too messy and she wasn't in the mood to clean. There was also Fettuccine Alfredo but decided against it as well because Kol hates it.<p>

"Need any help?" Damon asked, smirking as he watched his wife stand back and take in all of the items in their kitchen. She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed.

"No, I've got it under control," she said. He threw his hands up in mock surrender, still smirking.

"Suit yourself, I was just—"

"I don't know what to make for dinner," Elena pouted. Damon laughed and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her midsection from behind and planting an ever so light kiss on her neck.

"What about those ribs that have been marinating in the _vinha d'alhos_ for a couple of days?" Damon said.

Elena thought about the ribs. She marinated them the same way her mother marinates them, to others it may sound weird but it tastes great—they've been sitting in it for about three days now. Her eyes closed for a second, thinking about the way they tasted at the Mystic Falls Rib Fest; everyone loved them.

"What would we eat with it, salad and roasted potatoes?" Elena asked.

"Sounds good, I'll heat up the grill and you get started on the potatoes," Damon agreed.

He kissed her cheek and went off to the backyard, passing Kol on his way out. Kol walked down the hallway, trying to be discreet and not let Elena notice him. However, his plan failed miserably because as he got down the second step of the basement stairs, she called out his name. He grumbled and walked over to the kitchen with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Did you find anything?"

"No, I searched as much as I could but I couldn't find anything. But, I did talk to a college professor—who by the way doesn't think it actually exists and that it's just mythology, and he said he'd get back to me in a couple of days with all the research he has on it. Shouldn't be long," Kol said. Elena sighed and embraced him as a thank you for all his hard work.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Kol," Elena said, smiling her 100 kilowatt smile at him. He smiled uncomfortably back but then rolled his eyes.

"You'd be lost without me, I mean seriously, when was the last time you took out the garbage around here?" Kol joked. She shivered as she thought about the last time she took out the garbage. It was the night Kol didn't pick up the phone when Elena called him, the night of Katherine's party, the night Maddox had taken her. Instead of pointing out how insensitive that question was, she brushed it off and smiled, getting back to cooking.

"We're making ribs, salad and potatoes for dinner. I hope you're hungry," she smirked.

"I'm starving, actually. After dinner, I'm meeting Jeremy and we're going to play some baseball. I've gotta teach that kid how to swing because he sucks," Kol said laughing. Elena chuckled, knowing that Jer really did suck at baseball.

"Don't be home too late, mister," Elena joked, pointing her finger in his face. He laughed and kissed her cheek, blurring to the basement to change his clothes and get his gear.

Kol looked around the room, just in case anyone was around and lurking, before pulling out his cellphone and texting Jeremy.

_You better have that bat ready, Gilbert. Tonight is training night numbero uno._

And he didn't mean for an upcoming game.

* * *

><p>"<em>Elena, please. Jeremy's going to be out all night and I miss her,<em>" Bonnie whined.

Elena sighed as she cleaned the kitchen after dinner and held the house phone to her ear. Bonnie was calling to ask if Ava could sleep over at her house, but Elena knew there was more to it than that.

"Bonnie, I saw to God, if you only want her over because you want her to practise her magic whatever then I will hunt you down," Elena said while laughing. She was half serious and half joking.

"_I'm not helping her practice I'm teaching her how to control it. Besides, it's seven o'clock, all we'd be doing is watching a movie and going to sleep. C'mon 'Lena, I even made a fort downstairs so that we can have fun when we go to bed,_" Bonnie pleaded. Elena rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"Fine, she'll be there in about a half hour," Elena agreed.

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you, I love you!_" Bonnie squealed.

She hung up the phone and threw the last dirty Lysol wipe in the garbage before running up the stairs to Ava's room. Elena smiled when she opened the door to see Ava already packing her things in her small My Little Pony suitcase, smiling sheepishly at her mother.

"I heard you on the phone with Aunt Bonnie so I wanted to get ready as fast as I could," Ava said shyly.

"Did you pack your pajamas and clothes for tomorrow?" Elena asked.

"Yes, mom."

"Tooth brush and extra undies?"

"Yes," Ava blushed.

"Babar?"

Ava looked over at her bear and smiled brightly before nodding. Elena double checked the suitcase before deeming Ava ready and bent down to kiss her forehead. As they made it downstairs, Elena saw Kol just about to leave the house with his baseball gear.

"Kol!" Elena called. He turned around to Elena and lifted is brow, as if to say 'yes?' "Can you take Ava to Bonnie's house with you? You're going to pick up Jeremy anyway and you're going to be using my car too I'm assuming," Elena asked.

"Sure," Kol agreed. He looked over at the smiling little girl and opened his arms wide for her. She blurred and jumped into his arms, nestling her head in the crook of his neck and giggling. Kol took the suitcase from Elena and his bag then made his way to the garage door.

"Bye Mommy, bye Daddy!" Ava yelled out before the garage door closed.

"Alone at last," Damon purred seductively.

Elena smirked as she handed him a glass of champagne, "Ava's going to be gone for the night and Kol isn't going to be home until later. I can think of a million things I want to do with you."

"Is that so?" Damon chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, I'll have to experience it to believe it."

"You bet your ass you will," Elena purred.

She closed in on his mouth with hers, expertly putting down their glasses and wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands gripped her hips as he opened his mouth just enough for her to slip her tongue through. Their tongues danced together in sync and for a moment, they forgot everything around them but each other.

Elena pushed Damon back and he fell on the couch, his hands that were gripping her—now pulling her down to him. She straddled his hips and sighed, as her core connected with his raging hard on through their jeans. She kissed down his neck and gyrated her lower half against his—his hands running up her thighs and caressing her sides.

Damon's hands travelled up her curves until he met with the underside of her t-shirt and bra clad breast. She pulled away from his neck and threw her head back, mouth wide open as Damon's fingers worked their magic. He was twirling, twisting and teasing her nipples through the shirt and Elena felt as though she would explode.

She moaned softly as Damon sat up straighter and captured her neck with his mouth. His blunt teeth were grazing across her neck—stopping at the pulsating vein in her throat and laying the gentlest of kisses on it. His hands were slipping under her shirt to cup both of her breasts while she slipped her hands into his hair, tugging and pulling at the ends—just how Damon likes it. He purred as she raked her nails on his scalp through his hair.

She was part way through leaning forward to capture Damon's lips with her own when the sound of the doorbell ringing. She rolled her eyes and huffed, about to pull away when Damon stopped her.

"Just ignore them, they'll get the message sooner or later," Damon groaned.

Elena kissed Damon ever so softly on the lips when the doorbell rang again. Damon rolled his eyes and sighed, falling back on the couch as Elena got up to answer the door. As she walked over to the entrance, she opened the door and Maddox immediately stepped into the house.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? You can't just walk into my house like that," Elena snarled. Maddox gave her a piercing glare but before he could speak, Damon had his hands around Maddox's neck. Veins escaping from the bottom of his eyes and his fangs bore.

"Who the hell is this, Elena?" Damon seethed. Maddox glared menacingly at Damon before prying Damon's fingers off his neck and breaking them. Damon hissed in pain but still stood his ground.

"Enough, Maddox. What the hell do you want?" She screamed.

"What I want," he cleared his voice, "Is for you guys to shut up and let me speak. I'm here because I'm trying to prepare you for the great evil that is coming your way."

Damon rolled his eyes, "The great evil? How old are you man—"

"Enough commentary from the witty vampire, I will have you know that I can have you dead and served on a silver platter in mere seconds. I'm here to tell you—" Maddox says, looking over to Elena, "That they're coming for you. They need you to complete their triangle."

"What triangle? I thought they were supposed to use Ava in the sacrifice?" Elena gulped. She didn't want to even say the words, let alone think them.

"They need her, yes. But they also need to complete the triangle. They need a doppelganger and vampire, your daughter; vampire and werewolf, one of Niklaus' hybrids; and last but not least, doppelganger and werewolf. There are no other doppelgangers, ergo they need you," he said. Elena gulped and paced, Damon staring at him with fury that ran straight through his body in adrenaline.

"You mean to tell me," Damon seethed, "That they need my wife to have a baby with one of their mutts? No. You can fucking forget it. She's not  
>one of your god damn puppets. Do you even listen to yourself? For God's sake, that's rape! Find another doppelganger, you're not taking this one," he shouted.<p>

"I'm afraid it's not up for discussion, Damon. I'm just here to warn you, anything else and what you do from this point on is really none of my concern. Though, Elena, you better act fast. I advise you to leave as fast as you can, before things get ugly," Maddox urged. He turned on his heel to walk out the door and once he reached the porch, Damon ran after him grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back.

"Listen very carefully, if anything happens, I will personally—"

_Snap!_

Before Damon could finish, a petite blonde vampire snapped his neck and he dropped to the ground without another word. She grabbed Maddox and blurred out of sight—leaving Elena alone in the house. She screamed as this happened and ran outside to get Damon's body and bring him inside, but before she could do that, a dark skinned man with a sly smirk on his face appeared.

"Night night, princess," he smirked. Before she could respond, he knocked her out with one swift punch to the jaw and blurred with her out of sight. Thus, leaving Damon alone on the porch and the front door wide open.

* * *

><p>Elena's vision was disoriented but when she came to, she noticed that she wasn't at home anymore. She was chained to a wall in a broken down warehouse, obviously notorious for its leaky pipes and sparking broken wires. A tear escaped her eye as she thought about why she was brought here. Were they actually serious, rape? How low could they get.<p>

"Oh man, look what we have here. A damsel in distress," a voice called out from the darkness. As he stepped out, Elena recognized him as Aaron. One of the werewolves Klaus was going to make into a hybrid before Elena had introduced the idea of hybrid reproduction.

"Aaron? What are you doing? Let me out of here, please," Elena pleaded.

"Tsk tsk, Elena," Aaron said, crouching down to her level. "You know I can't do that, I was told that I was supposed to have some fun with you. After all, Master's orders," he chuckled. A sob racked Elena's body as Aaron ran a finger from her chin and down to the valley of her breasts.

"You can't be serious, I saved you from Klaus. He was going to turn you and I set you free. Now you side with an even bigger enemy?" she screamed. His eyes blazed with fury and his nail grew longer, cutting through the valley of her breasts all the way to her navel.

"Yes ma'am, I'm very serious. You see," he smirked as she winced and screamed, "When I'm given orders, I follow them."

"What do you want from me?" she screamed.

"_Control_, baby. Control is what I want."

"You're a fucking monster, you're going to pay for this. They'll hunt you down, I'll make sure of it," Elena screamed at the top of her lungs as she was gagged with a handkerchief.

He stared down at her menacingly before saying, "You need to learn your place, I know exactly how to teach you, bitch."

* * *

><p>Maddox cursed himself for being a hunter. Knowing that with that title came the ability to hear from long distances. He could hear Elena's piercing cry for help as he stood guard outside the warehouse doors. When enough was enough, he couldn't take her screaming anymore. He sent a text to the one person he knew could fight these people off and come for her in a heartbeat, no questions asked.<p>

_Elena's in danger. Warehouse and 52__nd__ street, come ASAP._

He just prayed that they came in time.

* * *

><p>Elena cried as Aaron unbuttoned her blouse, symbolizing the beginning of the stripping of Elena's dignity. She pulled on the chains as she tried to escape from the pain but it was not use—there was no way out.<p>

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Elena screamed with all her might.

He smirked but paid no mind to her, only continuing his ministrations. He moaned as he got through the last button of her blouse and revealed the black and red lacy bra she'd put on to impress Damon.

"Did you get all dressed up for me? Aw baby, you know how much I love when you dress up," Aaron said. He touched the lace that intertwined between the valley of her breasts and looked up at her eyes with fury. "Or was it for that dead beat husband of yours?"

He ripped the front of her jeans open, revealing the matching set of panties. He growled and gripped her hips with such force, causing them to bruise.

"Where was he when you were here raising your daughter on your own? Are you forgetting all I did for you two? Selling you guys the house you now live in for a fraction of the real price. I did it all for you, I want my reward!" He shouted. With that, he ripped her pants off in one swift movement.

"I hate you," she cried. "When my husband finds you, you'll be ripped to fucking shreds. Shreds I tell you!"

"Let him try, I'll stake him just like Sage should have before she let him go," he seethed. Her eyes looked panicked as he spoke.

"How did you know about that? How do you know Sage?" Elena asked—more like pleaded to know the information.

No one but Elena, Stefan and Katherine knew about that. Not even Kol knew, and Elena mostly tells Kol everything.

"How do I know?" Aaron chortled, "Because that bitch was supposed to give me my—"

_Rip!_

He stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes glazing over with panic and blood coming out of his mouth. From that point, he touched his chest and fell to the ground beside her. A pair of legs stood where Aaron's upright body used to be, drawing Elena's eyes to look up at the face of her savior.

Elijah.

He looked at her with such sympathy and she sobbed, looking down at her own body and seeing her very own clothes torn and ripped. Elijah put his clean hand to his mouth and his eyes softened-he was thinking the worst about what happened to her.

"Was I too late?" He whispers.

She shook her head vigorously, pulling on the chains as she tried to wipe her tears.

He broke both chains in one swift movement and picked her up bridal style, holding her against his chest like you would to a baby. She sniffled and let the tears fall out of her eyes, silently thanking God for pulling her away from the torture before it was too late.

They passed Maddox on the way out and his expression softened. He couldn't help but just want to hug her but he didn't want to scare her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

* * *

><p>Damon awoke with a kink in his neck and groaned as he looked around him and saw that he was lying down sprawled out on the front porch; the light from inside the house was shining through the open door. Frantically, he looked around himself and screamed out for Elena.<p>

As he got up, he heard the twigs breaking in the forest on the right side of the house. His eyes started vamping out and his fangs were starting to descend, cutting into his lip as he tried to stay quiet. Just as he was about to pounce, Elijah came out of the darkness cradling Elena into his chest. Damon's ears picked up the sound of Elena's cries and he blurred over to them, eyes opened wide as he took in her clothes—they were ripped to shreds.

"Damon, it's not what it looks like. I got there in time, they didn't—" Elijah suddenly stopped when Damon's eyes welled up with tears. Elena moved in Elijah's arms and Damon wrapped his arms around Elena in a bridal style fashion. Scooping her out of Elijah's arms, Damon leaned his forehead against Elena's and kissed her nose as she sniffled.

They walked up the stairs together and down the right corridor, taking a sharp left and it was the only door on the left. The name 'Ava' painted on it with hot pink, black butterflies starting from the bottom of the door in small sizes and gradually getting bigger as they got higher. Damon touched it softly and smiled at Elena, "Did you do this for her?" he asked.

Elijah noticed that they were going to need each other so he turned around walked away, hearing Damon's small thank you just as he was leaving.

"Damon," Elena whispered as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm here baby, I'm here," Damon replied.

"I don't want to go back inside the house right now," she said as she tightened her arms around his neck. Damon nodded in agreement and kissed the side of her head, leading them towards the backyard—to the pool house.

He opened the door to the pool house and closed it with his foot, walking over to the bed to lay her down. When he pulled away from her to try to get some pjs that he knew she kept in the drawer just in case, she pulled him back to her in fear of abandonment. His eyes softened and he laid with her, clasping her hand in his and giving her a small peck on the cheek.

He was afraid to kiss her, as silly as that sounds. You should never be _afraid _to kiss your wife, but he was. He didn't know what happened to her in the time that he was unconscious, and she didn't look to be in a talking mood.

She turned over to face him, her brown orbs staring right into his oceanic blue ones. She ran her hand up his shoulder blades to the nape of his neck, stroking the hairs that touched her fingertips.

She was afraid to touch him, as silly as _that _sounds. You should never be _afraid _to _touch_ your husband, but she was. She didn't know what he would think of her if she told him. Not that she was raped, but she was assaulted—leading to attempted rape. _How could he stand my touch after this,_ she thought.

She leaned forward with all the courage she could muster up and gently touched her lips to his. Puckering them and anxiously waiting for Damon to respond—which he did. He kissed her back with all his might and laid his hand on her waist.

Kissing Damon after what she had experienced—or rather, almost experienced—was like seeing a rainbow after a hurricane. It was magical and hopeful, it was everything she was hoping to feel and he didn't disappoint. They kissed conservatively, keeping all their clothes on and their hands at respectable places. As Damon found her courage very enticing, he was also afraid that she was only doing this because she didn't want him to be disgusted with her—which he could never be, no matter what—and so he pulled back.

"Elena," he sighed.

Saddened, because she thought he was rejecting her, she sat up and looked down. He cursed under his breath because he knew what she was thinking, he knew her better than she knew herself. Before he could speak, she held her hand up to stop him.

"Don't, Damon. I understand if you don't want to, I wouldn't if I were you," Elena said as her voice cracked.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap so that she was facing him.

"No, you don't understand. I love you, Elena. Whatever happened to you tonight, it doesn't change the way I feel about you. You're a strong woman who can fight her own battles, but sometimes you need a little help. I'm that help. I'm not pushing you away, in fact—I just don't want to push you at all, baby. I don't just want sex from you and it's not a cure-all thing, if you're not ready then don't do it just for me," he pleaded. Elena let a sob escape her at his words.

"All I can feel are his hands on my body as he tore my clothes and assaulted me. I just want to forget, I want to forget it all and I want to go back to when you and I were alone on the couch tonight—before any of this happened," she whispered, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. He pecked her lips softly, pulling his lips away and resting his forehead on hers.

"If this is what you want, then we'll go through with it. But Elena, if you don't want to or if you feel uncomfortable, you have to tell me. Do you understand?" Damon asked. She nodded her head in agreement.

He gently flipped them from their current position to commence their love-making and he gasped when her leg brushed his arousal.

"Elena," he said, his voice very, very deep and husky.

She moaned as she pressed her lips against his chest, hoping he was giving in now. She wasn't disappointed.

"God you're so—" Damon started to say but got cut off by his groan and turned his face into the pillow and mumble something incoherently. She distantly felt his hand leave the middle of her bra clad back and slid down, further and further. She gasped as his hand rubbed against the wet heat between her thighs. His hand didn't hesitate; he just kept rubbing her, slowly. She moaned and let her head fall against the pillow.

"God, you're so wet for me, Elena," he finished his earlier sentence. His voice was strained and husky and broke a little as his hand stilled, then softly caressed her thighs. She sighed, expecting to be let down by Damon's selflessness and uncanny need to protect her from everything. Though, to her surprise, it was the opposite.

"Elena, I can't take this, I need you now," he said, sounding pained. She felt her legs get tighter around his waist, pulling her infinitely closer to the bulge in his boxers.

"I need you too, probably more than you need me," she sighed.

She raised her head from the pillow and placed a kiss on his mouth, letting all her frustration, passion, and love for him show. It turned quite intense rather quickly. His tongue and lips turning demanding against hers. She willingly let him take over, his hand going back down to cup her heat.

"Damon," she groaned, knotting her hand in his soft black locks and barely getting in enough words before his lips were on hers again.

He seemed to grow against her, hard as a rock. A sense of familiarity got the better of her—her hand leaving his hair and reaching down to his boxers, her hand wrapping around his erection. He gasped into her mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, his hand shoving her panties aside quickly, his fingers thrusting inside of her, taking her by surprise. She cried out in delight and then started drowning in ecstasy.

Slowly, Damon took her hand out of his boxers and rolled her on top of him. Elena straightened her back as he undid the hooks on her bra and threw it on the floor of the pool house along with their shirts and jeans.

She missed him, she missed his touch and she was already beginning to forget all about the heinous and horrid acts that had occurred earlier that night. His fingers inside of her, making her feel unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She was so wet and ready for him, craving his skillful touch. But still, she needed more.

"Damon," she cried out as he slid his fingers out of her, making her moan at the loss. He softly slid her panties off, caressing her delicate flesh as he went along. His boxers were soon following.

She smiled at what she saw, his length was big, he was very well endowed—everything she remembered it to be. Flipping them over again, he was on his knees between her spread legs—which were wide open and ready for him. They lay there for a few seconds, admiring each other's bodies. His muscular chest, his slim hips, those mesmerizing abs—her toned stomach, round breasts and waxed pussy.

"You're so beautiful," Damon whispered.

He leaned over her and kissed her slowly, his lips moving against hers until it turned hot and urgent. His big warm hands greedily roamed her body as he kissed her, his hands starting at her thighs and going upwards as his weight rested on her in a comfortable manner. She gasped and arched her back when she felt his hands cup her breasts. She needed him so bad right now, she felt like she might burst if she didn't get to have him.

He broke this kiss and nipped at her jaw line and her neck, licking her chest—smiling to himself as it earned him a pleased gasp. His tongue circled her nipple gently while his other hand kneaded her other breast. He never thought she'd want to be touched in the places he was touching her after what had happened, but now he knew he was wrong.

His other hand slowly traveled down her sides again and back to the burning, aching wetness between her legs. He coated his fingers in the slickness and easily slid two fingers inside, feeling her tightness around his fingers, making him groan.

Elena moaned and threw her head back against the pillows, moving her hips in time with his fingers and getting submerging in ignorant bliss yet again. She felt her orgasm start to build up like a hard, hot knot in her stomach. It felt so good, yet so painful. She felt herself start to get tighter and tighter around his fingers, all the while he moved down her body. His lips kissing a trail down her stomach, past her belly button.

She looked down at him and they made intense eye contact, she let out a low cry. God, it felt so good, the pleasure was just building and building. She watched him with immense lust as his head leveled with her core. She cried out loudly—seeing as no one could hear them—as his tongue darted along her tender clit. She threw her head back against the pillow, panting and arching her hips upwards as his fingers started thrusting in faster, his tongue massaging her small nub.

She felt her walls clamp down around him suddenly and cried out yet again, her body shuddering in delicious rapture as she writhed under him. Waves and waves of ecstasy overcame her until she felt herself calm down. His licked along her arousal and went back up to kiss her fiercely. She was seeing stars; he really knew how to please his woman.

"Elena," he said huskily, "are you sure?"

"Damon, please—you're killing me. I need you, stop trying to protect me from something I don't need protection from," Elena sighed. She took his head in both hands and kissed him hard for a few moments. It became feverish and needy as she felt the fire ignite in her again, the place between her thighs blazing with warmth.

"Tell me if you want to stop."

"I will," she said quietly, her nerves and body on fire. She didn't have it in her to feel scared. She just wanted him, needed him, as she'd said before. She just wanted him to make love to her.

He nodded, leaning down to kiss her softly and passionately. He was rubbing the pad of his thumb against her sensitive nub. She moaned, feeling shock waves go through her body as he slowly entered her. He stopped, breathing heavily, concern on his face.

"Elena," he said. He was looking for reassurance; he was rigid and strained looking. She lay there, still with him inside her as the pain faded, she thrust her hips upwards a little experimentally then moaned.

"I'm good, baby. Please, just move," she pleaded.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he slowly started moving in and out. She moaned and bit her lip, her eyes looking up and making contact with his. His hands were gripping her hips as he started to go a little faster. Elena felt that familiar feeling in her stomach again and let her hands roam his chest, his abdomen, then back up to grip his shoulders.

"Damon," she pleaded. "Harder," she moaned, breathing heavily.

He moaned and dug his face into her neck and did as told, causing her to cry out and moan in ecstasy.

"Damon," she whispered over and over again.

He moaned her name, which only made the hot coil building in her lower belly build and knot tighter. He was cupping her face between his hands and making love to her with his eyes as well as his body. She felt herself get tighter around him as he increased his tempo and started thrusting harder, more wildly.

She moaned along with him, the room filling with their rapid breaths for a long while. Damon's lust-filled eyes rolled to the back of his head suddenly, breaking eye contact with Elena. They cried out together at the same time, coming together.

The hot knot in her belly releasing and quaking around his length as he gathered her up in his arms and drove into her still, causing them both to cry out in rapturous delight. Her orgasm shook her whole body and rolled over her in a delicious and oblivious haze.

"So good, so good," she moaned, "don't stop."

When they were finished, he collapsed on top of her and kissed her sweetly, gently, and lovingly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, pushing her sweaty hair from her face and gazing lovingly into her eyes. She closed her eyes as he rolled over on his side, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm feeling amazing, thank you, Damon. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said with tears in her eyes. He covered them with the blanket and she snuggled into his chest, sighing in content.

"I love you, baby," he whispered to her, smirking to himself as the only reply he heard back was the sound of her soft snoring.

* * *

><p>"Ava, grab the strawberries and whipped cream from the fridge," said Kol.<p>

"What's the magic word?" Ava taunted. She stood in front of the refrigerator and put her tiny hands on her hips, an amused smirk planted on her face—one she learned from her father.

"Please," he dragged on, rolling his eyes at her childish ways before remembering that she was, in fact, a child.

She grabbed the strawberries and whipped cream from the fridge and placed them on the counter. Kol passed her two cups to place on the table while carrying the other two cups and four plates by himself. _Teamwork_, he had to remind himself with a chuckled. When the table was set, Kol cut up all the strawberries and placed a whole bunch of them on top of everyone's waffles.

"Can I put the whip cream on them?" Ava asked with her big blue doe eyes.

He succumbed to her plea and lifted her into his arms, hoisting her on his hip and handing her the whipped cream can. She covered all the waffles with it and placed the can down, looking over to Kol with such happiness for being able to help with breakfast. He kissed her cheek and handed her her plate, walking over to the table with her on his hip and placing her onto the chair.

"Kol?"

"Yeah, baby girl?" He asked, his back turned to her to grab the orange juice from the fridge but his ears were still listening.

"Can I have ice cream on top of my waffles too?" she asked sweetly.

He grabbed everyone's cup and filled it with the orange juice.

"No, it's breakfast time. You can have some after dinner tonight if your mom says yes," he said.

She rolled her eyes at him, lifting her hand up with her fingers curled—concentrating on her waffles. When he was about to ask her how her night went with Bonnie yesterday, he sighed in frustration as he looked at her plate. She had manifested herself a scoop of vanilla ice cream onto her waffles and started eating it.

"Ava, if you do that again I'm going to tell Elena. You won't like it if mommy's mad at you again, she might ground you for real this time," he scared her. She apologized over and over again, eating up all the ice cream because she heard Damon and Elena walking through the backyard and into the house.

They came into the house in their pjs on, Elena putting her hands over her mouth and her eyes watering. Kol and Ava had made breakfast for the whole family, and it wasn't even mother's day. She put her hand on her heart and leaned into Damon's body.

"We made breakfast because you were sleeping," Kol said, smiling. Ava was nodding vigorously with a huge grin on her face.

They all sat down at the table eating their breakfast, talking about different things. Halfway through, that's when Elena smiled to herself. With a family like this, sure it was a little dysfunctional sometimes, but with a family that care about each others and would do anything for each other—that is how she gets through the day. That is how last night, and any other horrible night that she may have, can be somewhat bearable. Because above all else, family and love are the only things that matters.

Damon smiled over at her and grabbed her hand under the table, squeezing it.

Love and family, that's all that matters.

* * *

><p>The cool breeze outside was beautiful, as were the trees that were blowing in the wind. To anyone else, this scene would be enticing and interesting. But to some, it was interesting in a whole other way. Just outside the parking lot of Elena's cafe, Giuseppe Salvatore stood with a cigarette in his hand.<p>

"Hello there," Giuseppe said with his gruff manly voice. The man he was talking to held out his hand for Giuseppe to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Salvatore. My name is Finn Mikaelson," Finn said in a business manner. Giuseppe raised his brow for a moment before letting go of Finn's hand.

"Mikaelson, as in Kol Mikaelson? Resident in my son's home? As in Klaus Mikaelson, the hybrid that lives in town?" He asked. Finn laughed and nodded.

"Those are my brothers, pity you had to learn of them before me—" Finn said but before he could finish, his phone rang.

"Hello? Yes, love... I'm on my way there... No, we didn't get her—she got away... Sage, c'mon honey, don't be mad. Listen, I'm with someone right now so we'll talk later...Yes, I understand...Bye," Finn sighed. He looked over at Giuseppe and smirked.

"My girlfriend, she can be a bit of a handful," he laughed. "Bye for now, Mr. Salvatore," Finn smirked. He shook Giuseppe's hand once more before blurring off out of sight.

Giuseppe felt the piece of paper that was slipped into his hand but waited for Finn to leave before reading it. When he did, he was confused at what he saw when it read:

_Join Us_

* * *

><p><em>I love cliffhangers, they always leave my fans coming back for more *sighs dreamily*. So, did you love it? Did you hate it? Personally, my favourite part was the love scene and I say that because it look me like a million years to write it. But seriously, what was your favourite part?<em>

_Is anyone paying attention to the little story advancers I'm putting in there too? Hmm, maybe I'll point one out so you can learn how to do it on your own in future chapters. Wendy talking to someone with a gruff man voice? (Hmm, where have we seen this before?)_

_There were three that I threw in there, one is about Elena's changing process and her emotions, another is about Kol and his interest in the Ligno Vitae and the last is about Ava's discovery of her powers. What could this mean for the future chapters?_

_If you get ANY of them right you'll get a shout out on the next chapter along with me favoriting and following you! I'll even cleverly name a chapter after you if you get all three *smirks*._

_Anyway, I'll upload as soon as I can! I've got the week off from school and home for my school program so I'll have so much time to write! Remember to review this story, tell me if you like it or if you hate it or if you have any problems with this story that need clearing up. Constructive criticism is also accepted! In the words of _**Roguie** "_Reviews are gold and I'm just a poor girl. Please don't forget to donate_."

_**P.S: If you all could take a look at my next Delena story, it's called **__**My Saving Grace**__**, that would be greatly appreciated. Anyone who reviews that story will definitely get a follow and favorite from me as well as a thank you in the next chapter of EB and MSG! I just want to know if you guys like it or not, it's my story I run to when I have a writer's block from EB.**_

_Feedback is love, people_


	8. Neglect

_**Story:**__ Elena's Baby_

_**Chapter:**__ Neglect_

_**Disclaimer:**__ *sigh* I still don't own any rights to The Vampire Diaries or its characters_

* * *

><p>"Caroline, please. My feet hurt so much and I'm tired, I don't want to shop anymore," Elena said.<p>

However, as much as she complained Caroline still wandered around the mall and into stores to buy closet loads of shoes—not paying any attention to Elena. As they entered another shoe store, Elena tried to find a bench to sit on but she was out of luck.

"Caroline—"

"Jesus, Elena, what is it? You called me and asked me if I wanted to come to the mall with you. If you didn't want to shop 'til you dropped, why did you even call me?" Caroline screeched as she narrowed her eyes at Elena.

Elena pouted and clutched her three shopping bags tightly in her hands. She walked down the aisle of high heels and pulled out a pair of closed-toe nude pumps with a four inch heel; the exact shoe she had been searching for. Just as she was going to respond to Caroline, a woman and her daughter got up from a bench nearby and Elena couldn't help but walk over to it and sigh in relief as she sat on it.

"I'm tired Caroline. When I said I wanted to go shopping, I only wanted your opinion on a couple of outfits and now you've gone and bought yourself every item in the whole mall. I'm tired, my feet hurt and I'm hungry," Elena said with a frown.

Caroline huffed and stood staring at her friend in frustration before rolling her eyes. Elena struggled to get her feet into the heels but try and try again she couldn't fit them in. Elena threw the shoes into the box and put her head in her hands, it was just an awful day.

"Those are size 8 and a half, how do they not fit your feet?" Caroline inquired.

"I don't know, I bought an 8 and a half from the same company in a different colour just last week. I'm 24, my feet shouldn't be growing anymore," Elena sighed.

As Caroline took another look at Elena's feet her eyes narrowed at Elena's swollen toes. The arch of her foot wasn't as rainbow shaped as they used to be, essentially, Elena's feet looked like a heavily inflated water balloon.

"Your feet are swollen," Caroline pointed out. "Have you been walking or running a lot lately?"

"No more than usual. They're really sore and I can't find any shoes but these extremely worn out toms to wear."

As Elena was putting back the shoes on the rack, Caroline stared at Elena as a whole to try to figure the mystery out. Caroline's eyes popped wide open as her hand flew to her mouth—could it really be? Elena stared at Caroline and raised her brow as if to ask 'what?' and Caroline shook her head.

"Not here, come with me," Caroline spoke as she tugged on Elena's arm and pulled her towards the exit of the shoe shop.

As they sat on the rooftop patio of the restaurant eating their salads, Elena cleared her throat.

"What is it, Caroline?"

Caroline gulped, "Elena, don't take this the wrong way because if I'm wrong then I guess you may take offense to it but I just want you to know that I love you and I'm only asking because I mean who knows maybe I'll love them so much and spoil them and—" she rambled.

"—Caroline, Jesus, you're not making any sense. What are you talking about?" Elena asked impatiently.

"Are you pregnant?" Caroline asked in a hushed and rapid tone.

Elena blinked about a hundred times, taken aback from her question. Pregnant? _Pregnant_? Why would she even think something like that, she couldn't be pregnant. Damon had just come home and she had Ava at home and they were just starting to become a real family again. Elena rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair—_there's no way I'm pregnant_. But then she thought back on the past couple of months with Damon. They'd been intimate dozens of times and not once did they use contraceptives, even though she now knew it was possible for them to have children even though he's a vampire. Elena's eyes went extremely wide for a second before she brought herself back to Caroline.

"Holy shit," Elena started, "I don't know. Why would you even ask me something like that Caroline?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Hmm, let's see. I don't know, maybe because you have an increase on your appetite? Or maybe it's because your feet are extremely swollen? No, wait, maybe it's because you're on an emotional overload lately and you've been exhausted to the max after doing simply nothing? Actually, I think what's selling it is the fact that you're experiencing the same symptoms that you had with Ava four years ago and you smell different," Caroline explained.

"What do you mean I smell different? Is it a bad smell?" Elena asked.

"No, but I noticed it right away. Hello, nurse in the maternity ward? I don't know if it's because of my heightened senses but pregnant women have a different smell about them. Some are worse than others—but you don't smell bad. You smell like a mist, but like a garden-like mist," Caroline said.

Elena nodded her head before speaking.

"What do I do now? Buy a pregnancy test? See my doctor? Do I do one or both with Damon or on my own?" Elena asked, lip quivering.

Caroline grabbed Elena's hand from the top of the table and linked their fingers together. As if this had calmed her down a little, Caroline's thumb caressed Elena's back hand carefully.

"Sweetie, I know that you're a little scared because you've only known how to do this on your own but let me tell you something, you're not alone now. Damon's there for you, no matter what. I'm here for you no matter what, and everyone else who loves you is here for you. Just like they were here for you when you had Ava. I think you should—" Caroline said but was interrupted by Bonnie's footsteps.

Bonnie walked up to the table and sighed as she grabbed a seat, apologizing profusely for being late for lunch. Caroline let go of Elena's hand and gave her a look to act natural before smiling at Bonnie. They had begun to talk about something meaningless while they ate and Elena finished the last of her salad and put her head in her hands as a minor head ache and nausea hit her.

"Elena, are you okay honey—" Bonnie said before jumping slightly as she touched Elena's arm.

Bonnie furrowed her brows in confusion before her eyes softened and the sides of her mouth curled up into a grin.

"Oh my god, Elena, congratulations!" Bonnie squealed.

"Wait, you can sense that she's pregnant too?" Caroline asked.

"Of course I can," Bonnie said rolling her eyes, "she's glowing and I can feel the baby's energy flowing out of her."

Elena brushed a happy tear from her eye and smiled. Caroline and Bonnie got up from their seats to hug Elena and they squealed girlishly about the new baby.

"I'm so excited I can't wait to spoil her! I'm going to buy her so many dresses and earrings, she's going to be my little princess. Well, aside from my other little princess, Ava," Caroline gushed.

Elena laughed and rolled her eyes.

"It could be a boy, you know," Elena said.

"Yeah, yeah, I bet you a pair of my best Jimmy Choos that it's a girl," said Caroline.

After gushing with the girls about the more-than-probable new baby, she was starting to warm up to the idea of having another Salvatore baby running around the house. Only this time, Daddy would be able to see all the milestones of said baby. _Damon_, she thought. She didn't know how he'd take the news of her having another baby. Not only Damon, but Ava. She was a big girl at heart and Elena knew Ava would be thrilled to have a little brother or a sister but the initial shock of not being the center of attention anymore might frighten her away.

Elena sighed and folded her hands in her lap, she didn't know what to do. Take a pregnancy test at home with Damon and share their love for the baby together? What if it went sour and he left to have a few drinks at the Grill? Did she even need a pregnancy test when she had all the supernatural proof that she needed? Should she just set up an appointment with Dr. Fell and tell Damon about the baby on her own, hoping he'll accompany her to the doctor's office?

She had no idea what she would do, she was screwed.

* * *

><p>"Ava!" Damon called out.<p>

It was lunch time and Elena was still at the mall with the girls which meant daddy-daughter day. It wasn't as bad as it would have sounded to him three months back—he would have been terrified to be alone with his daughter. All that responsibility? No way could he have handled it on his own or without Elena.

"Yes, Daddy?" Ava asked from upstairs.

Damon rolled his eyes at his daughter. If Elena had called her name she'd be down here in a flash but if Damon called her name then she'd ask before coming down.

"Come downstairs honey, I have a surprise for you!"

Just as he said the words, Ava had blurred down the stairs and stood in front of her father with a great big grin on her face. He smiled at her when he saw what she was wearing; a pair of Minnie Mouse leggings and a red long sleeve shirt with the whitest socks Damon had ever seen in his life.

"What is it, Daddy? What is it?" Ava squealed in anticipation.

Damon wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up high before carrying her into the kitchen and blowing a raspberry into her neck. She laughed and giggled before wrapping her tiny arms around his neck and blew a sloppy raspberry on his cheek, leaving him laughing and giggling as well.

"Okay princess, we're going to do some fun things today. First, we're going to make lunch together. After that we're going to clean up our mess so mommy doesn't think we're a bunch of pigs and then you can help me with something in the backyard. When all of that is done, we can play some hide and seek. Does that sound like a good plan?" said Damon.

Ava yawned and nodded, resting her head on Damon's shoulder.

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me you're tired! You slept 10 hours already," Damon said chuckled, rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly as she huffed.

"Daddy, I didn't sleep nice today. I kept waking up at night time and my Tinkerbell night light broke," Ava pouted.

Damon half smiled sympathetically at Ava as he set her down on the island counter. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead and opened the pantry doors, looking around for ideas on what to make for lunch.

"Baby, what do you want to eat for lunch?" Damon asked.

"Can we make chicken noodle soup? My tummy doesn't feel good," Ava asked.

Damon furrowed his brows and walked over to Ava—taking a good look at her overall being. Her eyes were drooping and her skin was a little clammy. Her heart was beating slowly and she was hunched over on the counter. His heart was breaking as he watched his once happy and bubbly daughter turn into his sad and sick daughter. He brushed her raven black hair out of her face and pressed his lips to her forehead.

She was definitely sick, and running a fever. He couldn't believe he didn't notice it before.

"Daddy?"

Damon smiled softly at her and picked her up, wrapping her small body around his torso.

"Of course we can make chicken noodle soup, does mommy make that for you when you're sick?" He asked.

She nodded her head and then rested it back down on his shoulder. He carried her to the couch and laid her down, covering her in with the Dora the Explorer blanket and turning on the T.V. so she could watch some cartoons. She thanked him quietly and he went back into the kitchen to make her some soup.

He would have opted for the canned soup so she could eat quickly but then thought against it. His daughter deserved better than a stupid can of _Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup_. Damon started getting ingredients from the fridge and pantry and before long he had chopped up different vegetables and cooked it in a broth on the stove. When he got the egg noodles from the pantry to the right, he put it in the soup and let it boil. He also added some type of hot sauce to the soup, knowing that his mother used to do the same for him when he was sick.

When it was done, he put it into a small bowl and let it cool off as he set the table for her. He peeked at Ava and he saw that she was intently watching cartoons so he blurred to the basement and walked through the red door. Damon opened the freezer door and pulled out a blood bag, blurring back to the kitchen and putting it into a coffee travel mug. When it was filled to the top, Damon sucked out the remains of the bag and tossed it into the garbage.

Damon sighed as he realized Ava's soup was still very hot so he grabbed a spoon and stirred it, blowing on the soup as he did so. It's funny, if you had asked him 10 years ago if he would ever do this for someone, Damon would have laughed in your face. Today he stands being that man, the one who blows his sick daughters soup to cool it down.

When it was cool, he put the bowl in the placemat and called Ava to the kitchen for lunch. She blurred to the table and sat on the chair, smiling up at Damon as she fed herself the soup.

"Thank you, Daddy," Ava said with a toothy grin.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Damon said while smiling back.

Damon started washing the dishes and drying them when Ava appeared at his side carrying an empty bowl and sippy cup.

"I'm done, Daddy. Here are my dishes," Ava said while smiling brightly.

"Do you always help Mommy with the dishes when she does them?" Damon asked.

She nodded her head and he chuckled before grabbing the dirty dishes from her small hands. She walked upstairs and threw on her black winter coat, scarf, and her fluffy-on-the-inside winter boots. When she threw on her gloves, she walked down the stairs—meeting Damon in the kitchen. He eyed her suspiciously with an eyebrow raised.

"You said we were going to go to the backyard and you were going to have me help you with something. Momma said that when I'm sick that I should bundle up if I'm going to go outside. I'm ready, Daddy, I'm ready!" Ava said eagerly.

"If you're sick then we shouldn't go outside, baby. You should just stay inside and watch some T.V. and take it easy. If you'd like, I could watch some cartoons with you—maybe even a movie!" Damon said with mock excitement.

Truth is, he just wanted to go outside to show her the plans he had for the new garden but he didn't want to cause her to get worse. Elena would freak out if she got sick under his watch, not to mention kill him if she got worse because he took her out. Ava pouted and threw her arms together in a huff, she didn't like being treated like a child. She glared at Damon and he was taken aback.

"Daddy, you promised! Mommy says that if I'm warm I'll be okay, please?" She pleaded.

Damon shook his head.

"No, Ava. You're going to stay inside and play with your toys or something and that's final," Damon said sternly.

"But Daddy—"

"Enough, Ava!"

Ava's eyes blurred with tears as she glared at Damon, it broke his heart to see her so upset with him. She angrily ripped her jacket and scarf off and threw it on the floor before trudging up the stairs with loud stomps. Damon sighed and rubbed his eyes, _what did I do now_, he thought. He picked the jacket and the scarf and hung them on the rack. As he heard her sob in her room, his heart clenched. He didn't know what else to do so in spite of his racing heart, he tuned out her cries and took a sip of his comforting bourbon.

When he had felt bad enough, when the guilt had seeped its way through his veins, he put down the bourbon and walked towards the nearest staircase. He walked slowly up the stairs and tried to listen out for her heartbeat yet was a little startled that he couldn't hear it. He walked a little faster and when he reached her room door, he opened it with clear distress.

Ava wasn't in her room.

Damon ran his hands through his hair and looked around the room frantically.

"Ava!" he called out.

He blurred all around the house, checking in the smallest spaces he could find but he couldn't find her. He was so screwed.

* * *

><p>Elena sighed as she walked down the family planning aisle at the local corner store. She shouldn't have been here of all places to buy a pregnancy test, the owners knew her—they knew everyone. One little slip up and her secret would come out. Not that she wasn't going to tell Damon, because she was, but she wanted him to find out from her.<p>

As she walked up and down the aisle, she found herself become short of breath as she reached the same corner of the aisle that she reached when she bought her first ever pregnancy test, when she was pregnant with Ava. As Elena reached down, she sighed as she picked up the _First Response Pregnancy Test Kit_. She didn't think twice when she picked it up and walked towards the check-out.

When she put it down, Mrs. Kennedy looked at her with a great big smile. Her face, mostly the corners of her eyes, crinkled with wrinkles—defining her old age. Elena smiled shyly and pulled out her wallet. Had Mrs. Kennedy not known she was married, her smile would turn into a ridiculous look of disgust and judgement. She was a very religious woman.

"That'll be $37.89, Mrs. Salvatore," she said with a grin on her face.

Elena pulled out two twenties and placed them on the counter, graciously taking the bagged test in her hands.

"Keep the change, Mrs. Kennedy. Have a good day," Elena said.

"Thank you, dear. I hope you find all the answers you're looking for with that test, families are truly a blessing," Mrs. Kennedy replied.

With a curt, yet gracious, nod Elena walked out of the store and quickly shoved the convenience store bag into her purse. It was bad enough Mrs. Kennedy found out, she didn't want anyone else who was lurking around to find out too. When she got to her car, she threw open the door and sat in the driver's seat. She drove home in silence. What felt like an hour was only really 7 minutes but once she opened the garage; she couldn't help but feel relieved.

When she opens the garage door that leads to the laundry room, she hears Damon's frantic voice screaming out for Ava. She dropped all her things and called out for Damon in panic, _no, no, not again!_

Damon reached Elena and grabbed her arm.

"I don't know where she went. I yelled at her and she was so upset, she went upstairs to her room and I haven't seen her since. Elena—God, I don't know what to do! She's just—she's not—I don't know where to find her," Damon let out with a shaky breath, looking all around the room.

Elena's heart was beating so fast, she didn't even listen to Damon rambling. She ran with her four inch heels down the hall and to the nearest staircase. With every step she found herself struggling to keep her breath, _great time to be pregnant_, she thought sarcastically. When she reared the hallway to Ava's room, she threw the door open and ran towards her closet.

"Baby, she's not in there I checked," Damon tried to reason, but Elena wasn't having any of it.

When she opened Ava's walk in closet door, she ran to the furthest left corner and dropped to her knees. Elena opened the hidden trap door beneath the rug and there stood Ava sitting in a large cylindrical tube. Elena shut her eyes and took a deep breath of relief, her hand flying to her heart.

"Mommy?" Ava called out.

"Yeah, baby. It's me, what are you doing down there?" Elena asked, tears flooding her eyes.

"Hiding from Daddy, he's being mean to me," said Ava.

Ava let out a cough and that's when Elena realized she was sick. She could hear it through Ava's cracked and sore voice but it became apparent when she coughed and sniffled. Elena turned around to face Damon and she eyed him suspiciously.

"What happened" asked Elena.

Damon blew a frustrated breath out of her mouth.

"She's sick, Elena. She said she wanted to go outside and I said no because it could get worse. She got upset and started asking over and over again so I told her no again and she ran upstairs and now we're here," Damon explained.

Ava angrily climbed out of the tube and looked at him with a glare.

"You promised that we could go outside—you lied to me!" Ava squeaked.

"Ava!" Elena reprimanded.

Ava closed her mouth straight away and didn't say anything else. It wasn't out of fear of Elena, it was because she didn't want to disobey her mother. Elena smoothed Ava's hair on her head and looked at Damon with an annoyed look. Damon rolled his eyes because he knew he was right, Ava couldn't take no for an answer so he had to do something.

When nothing else was said, Damon eyed the little trap door with suspicion.

"What is that?" Damon asked.

"It's a rabbit hole. When we were watching Alice in Wonderland, we got the idea and let it stem from there. Here, come check it out," Elena insisted.

She pulled Ava into her arms and climbed down the ladder into the tube. Damon climbed down with her and eyed it with such amazement. It was a huge, glass, cylindrical tube with florescent pot lights at the bottom to enhance the space. Elena and Damon stared at each other before Ava spoke.

"Can I push the red button, Mommy?" Ava asked quietly.

When Elena nodded, Ava reached a little to the right and clicked the smallest red button Damon had ever seen. Before he could say anything, the tube shook and descended at the speed of 20 mph. Damon looked through the glass tube and his mouth dropped at what he saw in front of him.

The tube from the rabbit hole descended into what looked like an underground safe house, it was insane. Elena pressed the green button that appeared when they reached the underground floor and the glass door opened. Damon took the first step out and walked into the beautifully lit living room. Elena came out with Ava in her arms and walked over to the kitchen, placing Ava on the kitchen counter much like Damon did earlier.

She rummaged through the cupboards and found some children's cough medicine that she stored in the safe house. Call her an over-protective and paranoid mother but she really thinks of everything that has to do with Ava. Elena poured the medicine in the little see-through measuring cup and handed it to Ava. Ava brought it to her lips and took a sip, giving it back to Elena with a shaky hand.

Damon came over to the girls and looked Ava in the eyes. It was like staring at the mirror-image of himself, he couldn't help but feel bad that he had yelled at her.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to be mean to you," Ava said softly.

A tear escaped her eye and Damon brushed it away with the pad of this thumb. He kissed her forehead and hugged her small body to his.

"I love you, sweetheart. I'm sorry we didn't get to go outside, just next time don't question it okay. I don't want you to get even sicker than you are now," Damon reasoned.

Ava nodded and Damon released her. Elena looked at the two of them with a smile and her heart clenched. This is what a family really looked like, not some stepford family that never had its troubles. It's about recognizing your issues, apologizing about them, forgiving each other, and showing your love. No family is perfect, but they can damn well try their best to be a really good one.

Elena unconsciously put her hand on her belly, thinking about the possibility of their new baby. This action however, didn't go unnoticed by Damon. He didn't show it, but he was suspicious. Maybe this was Elena's way of telling him that she wanted more kids, maybe this was her way of saying that she wanted to expand their little family. Damon would be lying if he said it wasn't slightly appealing but he wasn't ready for it. He just had Ava, he didn't want any more kids at the moment.

When Elena looked around the room, it took Damon's mind elsewhere.

"What is this place, Elena?"

"It's a safe house, duh. I had it made a while ago, actually, before we moved in here to be exact. I had contractors make the different rooms and I had interior decorator come and design everything. It's about twenty-six feet underground so it's almost impossible to know someone is down here unless we give you that knowledge. Even with your vampire hearing, you'll never able to hear a heartbeat or even screaming down here," Elena explained.

"But what about the contractors and interior decorators? What if they're compelled and they give up the location and everything, what's the point of the safe house then?" Damon inquired.

"Kol compelled them to take their pay and forget they ever did this project. We haven't had any complaints so far," said Elena.

Damon looked around with an impressed expression on his face, and that was putting it mildly. He looked at the cozy kitchen and was stunned to find that it looked homey. If they ever needed to hide out and run away from it all, he knew that it wouldn't be so bad living down here. As he walked towards the living room, he found a narrow hallway to his right and followed it. Just like the basement in their house, there was a red door on the first left.

When he opened it he wasn't very surprised to see that it was a room containing a freezer with blood bags. However, this room had more than just one freezer. It had four—they were fully stocked.

As he closed the door, he noticed four more doors down the hall. One was a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet,_ go figure_, and the other three were just two guest rooms and a bathroom. He turned around and saw Elena cradling a sick looking Ava in her arms with a worried expression on her face. Damon smiled sympathetically at her before offering to hold Ava—Elena accepted and handed her over.

"You really thought of everything, 'Lena. You don't give yourself enough credit, you know," Damon said smiling.

"C'mon, there's another exit here that I want to show you," she said.

She took him to the top of the stairs on the opposite hallway, through a glass door. When they walked for what Damon thought was an eternity, they reached the end of the cave that overlooked a forest just outside the Gilbert-Salvatore Mansion.

"Wow," Damon said with a stunned expression.

"I know, it's really cool," Elena agreed.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"You didn't need to know about it and to be quite honest, I completely forgot about it until today. Ava only hides in the tube when she's upset or when she's trying to find the cleverest spot to play hide and go seek it. I guess you finding out was inevitable seeing as she may have dragged you along to play hide and go seek sooner or later," Elena said with a sly chuckle.

Damon laughed softly, careful not to wake Ava.

"Babe, don't you think that if someone finds this cave that they're going to eventually find the safe house?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie used expression—her dark magic," Elena clarified, "To bind a spell and put a barrier around this whole forest. That's why no one ever comes through here. Even animals are prohibited from entering this forest. That's why Stefan doesn't hunt here, but in the forest by his house. That, and it's more convenient for him."

"How do we get back to the house from here without anyone seeing us?"

"We use the same elevator we came down in. It'll shoot us through the rabbit hole and we'll end up back in Ava's closet," she said.

When Damon nodded they both trudged through the cave and walked down the stairs, entering the same hallway they came from and into the center of the cave. Elena grabbed his hand after turning off all the lights and turning on all the alarm systems. Again, call her paranoid but she didn't want anyone breaking into the safest place they have.

They entered the tube and pressed the green button to close the door and the red button right after to ascend up the rabbit hole. When it was done, Damon climbed up the ladder and out of the hole. His arms were stretched out so Elena could pass him Ava before she climbed up the stairs. After she did just that, she climbed right out and closed the trap door—covering it with the big butterfly carpet that was on it from the beginning. There were no signs that what they just experienced just happened, and Elena was very pleased with that fact.

Damon took off Ava's small boots and laid her down on her small bed. Her overly pale face had turned into a frown unconsciously when she couldn't feel Damon's warm touch anymore but it was alright when she laid on her bed because a sense of familiarity came over her. Elena covered her with her favourite blanket and tucked Ava's bear under her arm before placing a kiss on her forehead and brushing some of her hair out of her face.

Damon stretched his hand out for Elena's and she took it. They left Ava's room quietly and closed the door without making a peep. They walked down to the kitchen and Elena smiled to see that the kitchen was spotless.

"You're lucky you cleaned this place because if I came home to a dirty kitchen you would witness the steam coming out of my damn ears," Elena laughed.

She pulled him close and pressed her soft pink lips to his perfect mouth. He smiled through the kiss and ran his hands through her ridiculously straight, brown locks. She moaned at the immense pleasure she got just by him massaging her hair, it was extremely arousing. She never really got aroused this much by just a simple touch, _damn hormones_, she thought.

Elena deepened the kiss by running her tongue along his bottom lip, silently begging him for entrance. He granted her access and their tongues danced in a rhythmic motion. Her hands folded together as she rested her arms on his broad and muscular shoulders. His hands found their way down her body—never skipping the outline of her breasts—and made their way under her shirt to rest on the soft olive toned skin.

His hands on her stomach made her thoughts jumble together and she could no longer concentrate on their make out session, all her attention went towards her possibly pregnant stomach and unborn child. She reluctantly pulled her lips away from his and started panting, she didn't realize that she hadn't been breathing when they were kissing.

Damon chuckled and rested his forehead against Elena's, he could feel her heart jolting through her chest and was pleased to know that he had that effect on her. Little did he know that it wasn't just him that made her heart beat that fast, it was the anxiety over what she should tell Damon about the; you-know-what.

"Damon, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Elena said, gulping.

He eyed her suspiciously and withdrew his hands from under her shirt. She took her hands from around his neck and started wringing them with anxiety. She jumped up onto the island counter and sat herself down in front of Damon, her eyes matching the height of his.

"What do you think about having more kids?"

Damon didn't know what to say about this. He knew this conversation was going to come up sooner than later but he thought he'd tell her the truth about what he was thinking, better that than to lie to her because he knew that she would find out if he did lie. He cleared his throat and placed his hands on top of her thighs, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Baby, you know I would love nothing more than to give you everything that you want. I know you want a big family because I know you, I know everything about you. But I just found out that I have a daughter, a very rambunctious one at that. I'm not ready for another just yet. Ava's all I need right now, aside from you. I'm not saying I never want them, because I'm sure I will in the near future, but just not yet," he explained.

Elena sighed a shaky breath and blinked back tears, not unbeknownst by Damon. He laid his palm on her cheek and she nuzzled it as he stroke it with the pad of his calloused thumb.

"Elena, I don't want to disappoint you. I know that we had Ava together as a miracle child but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to procreate again. I don't want to get your hopes up so for now let's just be happy with our one child and be done with this."

"But Damon, I want another baby. Ava wouldn't be the only one excited for it, I know you would too. You missed so much of Ava's life in the beginning so I know you're dying to see how the first four years of the next baby's life is going to be with you in it. You've got great paternal instinct, you know that. I don't see why you want to hold out on this so much," Elena defended.

Damon sighed and closed his eyes with frustration.

"It's not that easy, you know. With all that's been happening lately, you can't be surprised that I don't want a child right now. It's not the best time and you know it. We're still trying to get to the bottom of who's been terrorizing the town and I can't have you pregnant while all of this is going on. It's not safe and I don't want you lose you, or our baby for that matter. Like I said, when this is over with then we can talk about having a baby. I'm not going to change my mind about this, Elena," Damon said sternly.

She glared his way and jumped off the counter, brushing his shoulder on her way out of the kitchen. He rolled his eyes, thinking Elena was just being over dramatic.

She walked over to the entrance from the laundry room that she came in from and didn't even think twice about looking back, she just swung open the garage door and walked out. He blurred in front of her, his eyes blazing with thousands of questions. He grabbed her arms and held her in place when she tried to push past him once again.

"Listen, if you can't handle my answers then don't ask me those questions. You know I'm right about this so don't walk out on me just because I can't give you the response you want to hear," he said.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want, I'm a grown woman and I don't need you to hold me back. Remember when you would leave to clear your damn head? Well that's exactly what I'm going to do so if you'd let me go then I could—"

"No, god damnit, you're not going anywhere. I'm sorry okay, I wish it was different and I wish I could tell you what you want to hear but I can't and you know it. Please, baby, just get inside and sit down. Have some wine with me and watch a movie with me, just be with me please I'm begging you," Damon pleaded.

A tear escaped her doe brown eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I've got to go, call me when Ava wakes up," Elena said.

This time, Damon didn't hold her back.

* * *

><p>When Isobel opened her front door, she didn't expect to have a crying Elena fly into her arms. She held her daughter tightly to her and kissed her shoulder—the only place she could reach. Elena was sobbing hard and Isobel didn't have any idea what to do, she didn't know what to say but her motherly instinct immediately kicked in. She would rip anyone who hurt her daughter to shreds, knowing that's exactly what John would do as well.<p>

"Mommy," Elena sobbed.

Isobel felt tears seep into her blouse but she couldn't care less about that, right now her daughter needed her mother's comfort. Isobel smoothed the hair on Elena's head, much like Elena does to Ava when she's having a bad day. She shushed Elena when her sobs became heaves and her muffled cries were crushing Isobel's heart. She'd never seen Elena like this before.

Isobel closed the front door and rushed her over to the couch in the living room, wrapping her arms around Elena until she cried it all out. When Elena calmed down, Isobel made them some tea and waited patiently for Elena to explain herself. When she did, Isobel didn't know what to say.

"Damon doesn't want to have a baby with me, mom," Elena said in a low voice—her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Oh honey, of course he wants a baby with you. Granted, it may not be the best time I agree, but that doesn't mean he won't want one ever," Isobel tried to reason.

Elena closed her eyes as a tear slipped out.

"Mommy, you don't understand. I know it's not ideal right now, believe me if it was up to me to I would agree with him."

"What are you talking about—oh, _oh_," Isobel said in realization.

It didn't take a genius to find out what Elena had meant by that. Isobel placed her hand on Elena's cheek and her eyes were boring into Elena's.

"_Carida, _it's going to be okay. You and your baby are going to be just fine, do you hear me, just fine. You're going to be well-loved, by me, by Damon, by Ava, by everyone. Baby, you're crazy if you think that Damon wouldn't want a baby. He doesn't even know you're pregnant, you've caught him by surprise. Surely if the tables were turned you'd think the same."

"I know, but if I tell him I'm pregnant, he'll freak out at me. He'll hate me for it, mom. There's so much going on right now and we were just starting to become a family, there's no way he's going to handle this. What if he leaves us, I can't take that pain again Mom, not again," Elena cried.

"Shh, I know baby, I know. But Damon won't leave you, he loves you too much. It's not the best time but he loves you and he'll never leave you. Not on his own will, you know that. From the bottom of your heart, you know that," Isobel assured.

Elena nodded in understanding and brushed her tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, mom. I really needed that," Elena said with a sigh of relief.

"Please, what is a mother for?" Isobel chuckled.

Just then, Elijah walked through the front door, stunned to see Elena sitting on the couch.

"Oh Elena, how wonderful of you to stop by. If you could lend me a hand actually, I'd like you to come up to the attic with me so I could give you something," Elijah said with a warm smile.

It was a bit forward but he didn't know when the next time she was going to stop by was and he wanted to get it over with. She agreed and they walked up the, what seemed like millions of, steps and into the attic. It was neatly cleaned, nothing like what she expected an attic to look like. There wasn't much dust but there were tons of boxes.

Just then, her phone vibrated in the pocket.

**_Text Message_**

_**From**: Damon_

_**To**: Elena_

_Wherever you are, be safe. I love you, you know that. I shouldn't have to send you a text to reassure you. Ava's still sleeping but please, come home._

Elena clicked the lock button on her iPhone and shoved it back into her pocket, she'd come home when she was ready, not when Damon wanted her home.

"This one's yours, Elena," Elijah said quietly.

Elena walked over to it and opened it, coughing as she did so._ Ah, so there's the dust,_ Elena joked. She picked up the first thing she saw and smiled when she saw it. It was her original birth certificate, the one with her biological parents on it. She touched it softly with her fingertips and put it aside. She sat cross-legged in front of the box, just like she was a little kid rummaging through treasure.

She opened a jewelry box that was in there and it started playing music, the softest and most beautiful melody to ever meet her ears. She remembered this, she didn't know how or why, but she remembered it. She set it aside and plunged her way into the box, moving aside baby dresses and toys that Isobel must have gotten her when she was a baby—before she gave Elena to the more capable hands of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert.

Along with teddy bears, there was also a pair of Elena's booties from her baptism and her first pacifier. Just then, she saw a teddy bear that was linked to another. It was a twin-teddy collection. A girl in a pink dress and a boy in a blue suit sitting on a white pillow, holding a heart saying "mommy loves us equally." It was ironic and Elena chuckled, why was this in her box of stuff.

When Elena was closing up her box she realized that the box she had, along with all the others, had specific names on them. Some she recognized and some she didn't. Then, there was this one in the corner that didn't have a name on it.

"Who's that for?" Elena asked, but Elijah just shrugged.

"I don't know, your mother went through all of this and sorted them. I just came up to clear it out so we could renovate the attic, we want to model it into another bedroom," Elijah explained.

He didn't seem like he had an issue about Elena going through it so she walked over to said box and opened it carefully. As she went through it, she found that it was a box dedicated to a boy, or man perhaps, that Isobel knew. It had some things that Elena also had in her box, as well as the same twin-teddy collection she had. She didn't know what to think as she pulled out baseballs, miniature bats, and gloves signed by players. She was just about to package it back up when she saw a birth certificate at the bottom, just like Elena's had. However, this one was framed.

Elena's eyes flew open and her hands shook like crazy when she read the following details:

**Certificate of Birth**

_This is to certify that_

_**Ryan Gilbert**_

_Weighing __5 lbs.__ and __8 oz.__ was born on the day of _

_June 22_

_To __Isobel Flemming__ and __John Gilbert_

_In the year of _

_1989_

Elena clenched it in her hands and ran down the stairs, ignoring Elijah on her way down. When she reached the living room, she threw the framed certificate at Isobel's hands. Thank God for her vampire reflexes for if she didn't have them, Elena would have really broken the glass of the frame.

"I thought we were done with the secrets, Mother. What the fuck is that?" Elena asked angrily.

"Mind your damn tone with me, young lady," Isobel seethed.

No matter what happened, the one thing Isobel hated the most was disrespect. Disrespect in her own home, well, that was a different story entirely. She eyed the birth certificate and sighed, she would have to tell Elena about Ryan sooner or later.

"This is my son, my biological son," Isobel cleared her throat. "Your twin brother, Elena."

"I have a goddamn brother and you didn't tell me? Jesus, what else have you been hiding from me, Isobel!" Elena screamed.

"If you'd lower your voice I could tell you more about it," Isobel said before hushing her, "His name is Ryan Wells, I've been keeping up with him ever since the day he was born. We gave him to a wealthy family in Florida and they kept his first name—only changing the last name. He knows he's adopted, not the luxury you got, and he's happy from what I've seen. He's got a family, a wife and a son to be exact," she explained.

She grabbed her wallet and pulled out a photo of Ryan that she compelled the photographer to give her a copy of when they were doing family photo shoots in Florida.

"Here, it's yours if you want it, I have a whole set," Isobel offered sheepishly.

Elena took it and didn't even look back, she had nothing to say to Isobel at the moment. She left the house without as much as a peep and ran off to her car, driving to the only real place she can get answers and from someone who could talk to her without lying to her. Before she realized it, she was parked in front of the Salvatore Boarding house.

She unlocked the car and she ran inside the house, making as much noise as she could so Katherine would know that she was here. She wouldn't want to run into them while they were _indecent_. As she made her round about on the stairwell, Katherine looked at her from the top of the stairs. Katherine could hear Elena's heart beating ridiculously fast so she stopped her on the stairs.

"Elena, what the hell—what's wrong?" Katherine asked, grabbing Elena's tear stained face with her freshly manicured hands.

"Where do I start," Elena laughed incredulously, "Isobel is keeping secrets from me," Elena said with a whisper.

"What did she say to you? What did she lie about? Believe me, I can give out a real good verbal lashing if you need me to," Katherine said with a smirk on her face.

"Isobel had twins, Katherine. Not just me—twins! I have a brother in Florida, his name is Ryan Wells," Elena said frantically.

Elena held up a picture of Ryan and gave it to Katherine. She eyed the picture for a while before her eyes went wide like saucers, her mouth gaping ridiculously wide.

"Elena, oh my god—" Katherine started but Elena interrupted

"I know, how could Isobel do this to me? I mean for god's sake—"

"No, shut up and listen to me. Elena, I need to show you something," Katherine insisted.

She blurred off to God knows where and Elena rolled her eyes, staying in her spot because she knew that Katherine was going to come back in a flash anyway. She was right, but this time Katherine was holding up a hand-drawn portrait. An exact replica of the face of Ryan Wells.

"Elena, this is my twin brother—Nathaniel Petrova," Katherine gulped.

Elena froze at the information Katherine presented to her. It seems there's more than just one set of doppelgängers, which complicates _everything_.

* * *

><p>Kol walked through the door and nodded at Damon, who just glared at him in response. Kol threw his hands up in defense, he really wasn't in the mood to get his head chewed off.<p>

"Where's Elena and Ava?" Kol asked.

"Ava's in her room, she's sleeping. I think she's got a minor cold," Damon explained—purposely leaving Elena out of the discussion.

Kol frowned but Damon gestured for him to go upstairs to check on her if he wanted to. Just then, Kol smiled and ran towards the stairs in human speed, causing Damon to roll his eyes.

When it became apparent that Elena wasn't coming home any time soon, Damon kicked back a few shots of bourbon and read a book. He really couldn't understand why Elena was so upset with him about not wanting a baby at the moment. If anything, she should be the one who didn't want a baby right now. For heaven's sake, there was so much going on that it would be too intense for her to be pregnant right now. He couldn't risk danger for her, he wouldn't lose her.

As he sat on the recliner, he was her purse in his eye sight. He didn't know what to do, he knew she'd be furious if he rummaged through it, but something in his conscience told him to go through it. Maybe she forgot her phone in there and that was why she wasn't replying to his texts.

He picked it up and unzipped it, seeing a convenience store bag in it. _Hmm, maybe she bought Ava some cough medicine and forgot it in her bag_. When he opened it, his eyes froze on the tiny box in front of him. His thoughts slamming about in his brain and his heart clenching and unclenching. Now he realized why she was so upset with him.

Instead of taking responsibility for his actions and words, he blamed her entirely for not telling him. The last words he saw, before he threw down the box and flew out the door that is, were:

_First Response Pregnancy Test Kit._

* * *

><p><em>Okay, don't hate me *smiles shyly*. I gave you two cliff hangers this time, muahaha, I know how much you guys love my cliffys. <em>_Big thank you to all of you who reviewed my last chapter, and a small thank you to the silent readers who've read and stuck with me through the story. You guys totally thought right though, the "gruff man voice" talking to Wendy last chapter was indeed Giuseppe Salvatore. _

_However, as promised, I said I would give you guys a shout of if you guessed what the story advancers were. So, shout to:_

_DEstiny4TVDelena_

_YAZMIN V_

_sarahberah1121_

_For being extremely observant and figuring out that Elena may very well be pregnant. However, no one got the other two story advancers. Don't worry, they'll be more obvious in the next chapter or two, believe me! For now, you know the drill._

_Okay for your name in my next shout out, I would like you to **tell me** who you think is working with Sage, what is going to happen between Damon and Elena now that he knows she 'thinks' she's pregnant, and what a new set of doppelgangers means for the Ligno Vitae!_

_Tell me what you disliked, what you liked, what could be improved, and what you think about the plot twists of there being more than one set of doppelgangers? What about Elena being pregnant again, how could that effect things? Drop me a **review**, my lovelies, I just want you to know that I love you all and am most grateful for your continued support and reviews!_

_Feedback is love, people_


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